Tier In Geist
by XlaraC
Summary: And so the lion fell in love with the lamb... literally. Everybody has what is known as a 'spirit animal'. Everybody knows who your spirit animal is - it's perfectly normal in this world. Edward and Bella meet, and are thrown into an odd sort of romance.
1. Veneration

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Twilight**_

**Chapter 1 : Veneration**

**ven⋅er⋅a⋅tion** [ven-_uh_-**rey**-sh_uh_n] - a feeling of awe, respect, etc.; reverence.

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You must know that everybody had an animal that they most act like. Right?

That is completely true. Maybe you're sly like a fox, chatter like a chipmunk. Or maybe you're meek, like a mouse.

Now imagine a world where everybody walked around with everybody knowing just what type of a person they are. Of course, to know this, you would need proof. And this proof would, of course, come in the form of your 'spirit animal', as they are known. _Tier In Geist_, they say. It means 'Animal In Spirit'. Anyways, back to the proof. People would be able to _see _your spirit animal.

How would they see it, you ask?

Well, you would have both the ears and the tail of your animal, and of course you may make an animal-like sound every once in a while.

Imagining this world yet? Sounds fun, doesn't it?

Myself, as well as everybody else, live in this world. And let me tell you, it is a bit more complicated than it sounds.

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We are human, we just don't appear completely human. Or, at least, your opinion on what 'human' is. In this world, it is perfectly normal to be walking around with floppy dog ears on top of your head, and don't forget the big, bushy tail. This is our normal. We don't have people without them.

Now, what is everyone's deepest desire? To find the one they love of course.

It makes it so much easier, having our animal qualities shown to everyone.

For example, if you are a fox – we categorize people by their spirit animals – and you see a hot guy/girl (whatever your preference is), you automatically look to see what animal they are. Not a fox? Well, then, they are definitely not your soul mate; might as well not even bother.

Another thing is it is not enough to simply 'fall in love'. No, soul mates have that classic connection. It comes in four simple steps.

The first step is **Distance**. Once you are within a mile of your soul mate, you start feeling a tugging in your chest. That is your spirit trying to tell you where to go, basically. Very useful when you wish to know where your mate is.

Next is **First Sight**. Obviously, when you first see your soul mate, you will feel an instant need to be closer to them. It fills a part of you that you didn't even know was missing before.

Third step is** Alliance.** Once you touch, it could be brushing past each other in crowded place, but you feel a pull, and it causes a strange feeling of need. You feel instantly desperate, as if you can't live without the others touch. And, you can't. If one were to lose their mates, they would surely die. No mated person could survive without the constant closeness of their beloved one.

The final step is **Recognition**. It is not simply enough to feel that connection. No, we have to realize and tell ourselves that this is our mate. It has been said that there are some people who shove aside the first three steps, merely thinking that it is a coincidence, because their soul mate does not meet their standards. Without the fourth step, people can go, to put it nicely, insane. And they have.

Now, of course, all of us are protective of our mates. Certain people even more so, but that is simply their spiritual characteristics coming into play again.

Two people with different spirit animals have never properly mated before.

But, there's a first time for everything, right?

I thought you would think so.

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The Cullen family was composed of seven members; in these seven members, were three completely mated pairs. The eldest couple (the parents), Carlisle and Esme (both 23), both had the characteristics of a common woodland deer, being very gentle and calm. Emmett (20) and Rosalie (19) were next. They resembled bears; Emmett, because he was rambunctious and wild, and Rosalie because she was amazingly protective of her family, much like female bears. Jasper and Alice (both 19), the final pair; both resembled foxes, being sly, secretive, and good with technique – though, it was more so Jasper with the last one.

The last member was Edward. Forever 17, he resembled a lion, because of his pride, fierceness, love of running, strength, intelligence... lion was a perfect match for him. Edward had yet to find his mate; very rarely did they find another lion that could possibly be his. When they did, neither of them felt that connection that all pairs described. Edward would smile, get to know them, but accept that she was not his mate.

Edward had given up trying to find 'the one' in Forks, Washington. There was not a single lion in town, so it was a hopeless case all along.

He tried not to let himself hope too much when he heard that a new girl, his age, was starting next week. It wasn't a high chance that she was a lion, after all.

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Charlie Swan and Renee Martin (now Dwyer) were a rare type of 'mate'. Now, another thing I must explain. In our world, we live forever – many stopping around the age of 20 or so. It is impossible to overpopulate, however, because we have diseases, and wars. Plus, it helps that only every 200 years can children be born.

Now, Renee and Charlie mutually agreed to get together once the last mating season occurred, despite him being a raccoon and her being a rabbit. They both wanted a child, but had no idea when they would find their mate. So, they got together, and had a baby girl together, than separated. Renee was perfectly fine with this – Charlie had learned to love Renee, but was fully aware that they were not soul mates.

Their daughter, Isabella Marie Swan – or Bella, as she preferred – was a lamb through and through. She was clumsy, innocent, shy, meek, had soft curly hair, big doe-like eyes, soft pink cheeks... even without her lovely little ears and tail, you would probably guess that she was a lamb. She was very small, much smaller than what was average. Everyone had the urge to protect her; she seemed so soft and fragile.

When Bella was four, Renee had left Forks with her, wanted to go out and find her true mate. She headed for Phoenix, Arizona and by chance met one Phillip Dwyer in the middle of the produce aisle, who just happened to have a set of rabbit ears, complete with a little cotton tail. It was a perfect match, and Phil completely understood her reason for having Bella, and treated her like his own daughter. Bella liked him, but knew he would never replace her father. Charlie was very happy for Renee. He had yet to find his mate, but he was okay on his own for now.

It took Bella 12 years, but by the time she was 16 and had frozen at her permanent age, she wanted to head back to Forks – get to know this man who was her father. She had never really visited him before; he would come up for a week or two, but Bella was too shy to really talk to him much. Despite this, they both loved each other greatly.

Charlie was thrilled when his only daughter called to tell him that she was going to come live with him. What father in his right mind wouldn't be?

So, Bella packed herself up, waved farewell to her mother and step-father, and boarded a plane to Forks Washington : The Wettest Place In The Continental US. Her father met her when she made her way through the gates on the other side. It took them only just over an hour to drive from Port Angeles to Forks, and then they were home. Nothing had changed since Bella had left, except Charlie had of course changed her crib to a bed, and toy box to a dresser.

A week passed quickly in Forks, with nothing to do except settle in and unpack (Charlie had spent too many years setting his self up in a routine of going to work every day. He was Chief of Police to the good people of Forks) and clean up the house a bit. It only took her two nights of take out to realize that her father had never learned how to cook; that was a job she didn't mind doing. It also only took her two nights to determine which places she would have to avoid, for fear of tripping over a loose floorboard or a table leg.

Before she knew it, it was Sunday evening; marking her first week away from Phoenix. She had emailed her mom a couple times, assuring her that she was fine and that she was okay with living in Forks. Her and Charlie were still a little awkward around each other, but had set up a nice unspoken rule that small talk was not needed; Renee had always wanted to fill every last second with some nonsense babbling about this or that. Bella and Charlie were more the quiet type, and so they both had mutual agreements that they wouldn't speak unless it was necessary.

The next morning, Bella would be heading to her first day at Forks High School.

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All the students at school were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the newest topic of gossip. Even the Cullen children seemed to be excited, though Edward just took it in stride. By being excited, it made him hope that this one would be a lion, though it wasn't very likely.

Currently, all the students were hovering around in the parking lot, not even trying to hide their constant glances towards the entrance. The Cullen children were all gathered around their car, hiding their excitement better than the other children.

Strangely, Edward had been feeling this little tugging sensation in his chest, but had put it off. It seemed to only be growing, by the second, however.

In the next second, you could have dropped a pin as they all straightened up and turned to watch the previously unseen car enter the lot. Nobody could see who was driving the beauty as of yet, so they glanced over the car. It was a deep red, 1972 Chevrolet Camaro, with the standard black racing stripes. A real classic.

Every student collectively held their breath as the driver's side door opened. A tiny girl slipped out, seeming to be clinging to the car as if her life depended on it. Edward felt a sharp tug in her direction. He remembered what his family had told him. **Distance.** Against what he wanted, he let himself hope that this person was indeed his mate.

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Bella knew everybody was staring at her. She was still clinging to the roof of her car, hoping not to fall in front of everybody.

When she was a while away from the school, she had started feeling something bringing her in that direction. It had been distracting her for a while, but she had managed to finish the drive with no problems. Once she had gained her balance, she finally decided to answer this pull, and looked up in the direction it was telling her to. What she saw took her breath away.

He had the deepest green eyes she had ever seen, as well as the most beautiful colour of hair. It was an odd bronze colour, and seemed to be completely messy. He at least 6'2", almost a full 2 feet taller than herself. He was absolutely beautiful. Looking at him, she felt this intense want, no need, to be as close to him as possible.

The tugging sensation did not go away with her glance. It intensified.

One thought ran through her mind. _Is he my mate?_

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Those brown eyes are what did him in. When she glanced up at him, with a slight blush on her cheeks, turning them a beautiful pink colour, he found himself unable to glance away from her eyes. They were so deep, a warm, chocolate brown colour. They seemed to have bits of gold thrown in as well. She was small, a good couple inches less than 5 feet. He guessed around 4'6" or so, maybe a little taller. She looked so soft and fragile, he wanted to pick her up and carry her away from all the potential dangers that were out there.

Another thing he noticed was her long, mahogany hair. Her curls looked so soft, that he felt the desire to feel them to see if they were really as... _touchable _as they looked. He wanted to run his hands through her hair, brushing it between his fingers.

Altogether, the word he used to describe her (besides beautiful, goddess-like, gorgeous, adorable, cute, radiant – though those were also words he used with her in mind) was _warm._ He wanted her next to him, and now he was almost positive this was his mate. **First Sight.**

As she continued to look at him, he took a deep breath, and made his way over towards her.

Both Edward and Bella had yet to notice what spirit animal the other had.

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Bella did nothing but continue looking into his eyes as he walked gracefully towards her. Usually, she would be somewhat jealous of anybody who could walk without tripping, but it was just another part of him that made him even more beautiful.

From her mother's description on soul mates, Bella had a feeling that this is exactly what they were. She had found her soul mate, and it had only taken her first time through high school to do it.

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The entire student body, apart from Edward, had noticed that Bella was a lamb. They seemed to think it suited her, but were all shocked when they noticed _Edward, the lion,_ walking towards her much like many of them had seen before with previous mated pairs. Edward's family were bewildered, but noticed the same look of intense desire and need in Edward's eyes. They knew that this was his mate, and from the look on the new girl's face, he was hers as well. They were bewildered as to how they could be mates, being different spirit animals. This had never happened before.

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Being next to Bella seemed like heaven to Edward. There seemed to be a sort of electricity in the air between them.

Together, they both took deep breaths of air, both finding an amazing scent in the air.

Bella smelled like strawberries, lavender, and freesia. Edward found the scent captivating, thoughts running through his head of how he wanted to do nothing but inhale that scent for the rest of his long life.

Edward smelled like what Bella could only describe as sunshine. It reminded her of early morning dew, warm air, grass, and so many other things... just sunshine. She had no other way of describing the most amazing scent she had ever come in contact with.

Edward smoothly held out his hand, noticing that Bella was trying to keep her balance by holding the car still. Bella glanced at it, and looking back into his eyes, reached her hand out.

They both felt what could only be called a _click_. It was like every part of their body had just shifted, firmly connecting them to each other. **Alliance.**

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Bella was ecstatic. Her mate was standing right in front of her, and they were holding hands. She had yet to learn his name, but knew that she would stay with him forever.

Bella and Edward both smiled at the same time; a true sign of **Recognition.**

Bella whispered something, that if Edward had not had the ears of a lion, he wouldn't have heard her.

"My name is Bella." Her voice sounded like hundreds of little tinkling bells; beautiful music. _Bella_, he mused. _Beautiful._ He completely agreed with that statement.

"Edward." He said back. Bella smiled a little bigger. _Edward._ She liked it, a lot. It seemed perfect for him.

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They were now completely mated, and they had both neglected to notice the other's spirit animal.

Until that point.

As if previously rehearsed, both glanced upwards, towards the others ears. They were shocked, and didn't understand. They must have stood there for well over a minute, just trying to understand.

Edward was thinking that she really was as fragile as she looked. He could hurt her so easily, being stronger than her. The thought of her in pain made him mentally flinch. No, he would never let harm come to her.

Bella, meanwhile, wasn't worried about that. She was merely trying to understand, but accepted that they were soul mates. She was fine with him being so different from her. They were already mated, why try to work against it. Obviously they were meant to be.

She looked back into his eyes, waiting for him to either accept it or try to fight their connection. She was relieved when he looked back at her, and all she saw was the same desire she had noticed earlier.

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Edward could already feel his protectiveness coming out, now realizing just how fragile his Bella was. Lions are also known to be possessive, and Bella knew this and was fine with it. She felt perfectly safe with him, and he only said a word to her.

The need intensified suddenly, and before Bella even had time to blink, Edward had her wrapped in his arms. He felt complete for the first time in his life. She definitely belonged there, as much as Alice did in Jasper's arms, Rosalie in Emmett's, Esme in Carlisle's. There was no doubting their connection now.

Bella cuddled into him, feeling completely relaxed and safe. Though his arms felt almost like an iron cage surrounding her, she knew that Edward would never let harm come to her. She simply wished to feel his arms around her tighter, and got her wish when he almost crushed her to him, being careful not to hurt her all the while.

Edward was right; she was warm, soft, delicate – divine. They both silently agreed – she belonged completely to him, and he was equally devoted to her.

Meeting each other's eyes again, chocolate meeting emerald, they both whispered the same line.

"So the Lion fell in love with the Lamb."

Neither of them had ever smiled as big as they did at that moment.

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_**AN/ So? Good? Bad?**_

_**Please let me know! I feel horrible for starting another FanFic, but as promised at the beginning of my story After Twilight Comes The Night, I am still going to be updating each story at least once by the end of this month!**_

_**If this is the first story of mine you have read, maybe you should read some more of my FanFic's. *hint hint* :)**_

_**Review!**_


	2. Antagonistic

**Chapter 2 : Antagonistic**

**an⋅tag⋅o⋅nis⋅tic** [an-tag-_uh_-**nis**-tik] - acting in opposition; opposing, esp. mutually.

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The entire population that had watched as Edward and Bella went through the steps of mating were in shock. They were nothing alike, how could they be soul mates? Though, by looking at the pairs eyes, there was no room for doubt in the fact that they were, indeed, meant to be.

Alice had quickly called up both Carlisle and Esme and told them of the wonderful yet unusual new couple. Esme was ecstatic; she had been beginning to think that Edward was simply not meant to have a mate. Carlisle was curious, as always; he wanted to know why something like this had never happened before -- of course, that's not saying he wasn't overjoyed for Edward, as well. On the contrary, he was almost as excited to meet the newest member of their family as his wife.

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Without exchanging words, Edward and Bella shifted until they were only holding hands, and walked together to the main office so that Bella could get her schedule. They were in perfect harmony with each other.

Now, as soon as they stepped inside, Ms. Cope (who was a mouse) noticed that they were obviously mated. She was rather fond of Edward, and would have taken him for a lover. However, there were rules, and they stated that all mated pairs were to share class schedules, so as not to cause them any discomfort by being away from each other.

"Hello, you must be Isabella Swan." Ms. Cope stated. It wasn't very often that a place as small as Forks got any newcomers, and talk of Chief Swan's daughter returning at last had been going around town for months now. Charlie did not keep it a secret how excited he had been when she decided to move back.

"Yes, but please, just call me Bella." She returned rather quietly. Edward found her shyness very endearing, and was entranced by the musical tones in her voice. He could sit there and listen to her talk all day, no matter the subject.

"Bella, then." The two women smiled at each other. "Well, I have arranged your schedule so that it matches Mr. Cullen's. Congratulations, you two."

Edward could not help but smile back. He had been made the happiest man to on Earth when he had found his mate. It already seemed as if they had been together for years, rather than just around 10 minutes.

It was at that moment that Ms. Cope seemed to realize that the tiny, shy, adorable girl in front of her was not a lion. She took in Bella's face (a face more often seen on a porcelain doll than on a person), and finally made her way up to her ears. With noticeable degree of shock, she realized that this newly mated couple were complete opposites, and quickly her expression changed to one of bewilderment. She tried to recall any cases of this odd mating type that she may have heard, but not a single one came to mind. Like what many others had already thought this morning, this had never happened before.

Knowing they were going to be late, and not wanting his Bella to get into trouble on her first day, Edward bid farewell to the secretary, and led the way to their first class; English.

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If Edward had thought that Bella couldn't get any better, he was mistaken. Watching her face light up as the teacher droned on about books written by Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, Emily Bronte... was mesmerizing. He quickly fell in love with the way her eyes would twinkle with interest when the teacher brought up a new subject. He watched her dutifully write down everything that was said, though he had almost no doubt that she knew it all, already.

It wasn't quite the same throughout the other three classes before their lunch period. He was sad to see the light in her eyes go out as she found out that their second class period was trigonometry. It seemed she wasn't as interested in other subjects, and Edward found himself wishing that English would last all day long, though it wasn't his favourite subject (he favoured Biology) just to see her look as happy as she had in first period.

Like with all newly mated pairs, Edward did not put Bella's hand back once. Bella enjoyed the way her tiny hand fit into his much larger one. His hand was slightly cooler than hers, though it was in no way uncomfortable. Edward never let much space get in between their bodies, keeping his Bella pressed tightly to his side. Now that he had found her, he wasn't going to let her go.

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Bella couldn't recall a time in her life when she had been more nervous. Edward always sat with his siblings at lunch, and wanted her to meet them, of course. She knew they couldn't exactly do anything about her being Edward's mate. But what if they didn't approve of her? She wasn't exactly the same as Edward; in fact, she was the opposite. Already Edward had helped Bella when she stumbled. He found it endearing, but she found it embarrassing.

Edward knew his family would accept her. Rosalie might be a little wary, but she would know that Bella was his mate, and that he would not stand for anybody being angry with her. If Rosalie stepped out of line, he would make sure to put her in her place. Bella meant more to him than his family did.

He made sure to keep a firm hold on his Bella, half wondering if he should just carry her everywhere, seeing how much she was stumbling. He was worried that she would trip and hurt herself, somehow, even if he was holding her. He didn't even want to think about her getting so much as a broken nail.

Looking around, and seeing that everybody was looking at the newly mated pair with curiosity, Bella cuddled into Edward's side more, causing him to automatically switch their position from holding hands to his arm wrapped around her. He could feel her lightly grabbing on to his shirt, embarrassed by the number of people that were looking at her. Edward smiled as her little body warmed him, filling him with a pleasure previously unknown to him. He had spent far too long without him beside her in his life, and now he was amazingly glad that she would never leave his side; that is, if he had anything to say about it.

Heading into the cafeteria, Edward and Bella were prepared for the reactions they would receive. It would take a while for the news about this odd pair of mates to die down, and even then they would most likely always be a hot commodity in Forks. Despite being prepared, Bella couldn't help but blush and hide her face behind Edward's arm slightly. Normally, Edward would have chuckled at the site, but since she was his mate, he couldn't help the protective and possessive feeling he got. He tucked her further into his side, glaring at anyone who dared to look at them too long; well, really if they looked at Bella. He didn't care so much if they looked at the couple in general. It would give every single man in the room a chance to find out that Bella was completely off limits. Many people were not opposed to taking lovers in this day and age; few people still waited to find their soul mate before having sex. It kind of made sense; for some, it may take centuries before they find their mate. Some may never find their mate, and die without ever knowing what being truly loved felt like. Eventually, hormones might get to you, and it does take some sort of strength to be able to say 'no' until you meet your mate.

Edward grabbed some food for him and Bella, and steered her towards his family. He could see Alice practically vibrating in her seat; Emmett wasn't much different. Jasper was merely looking towards Bella curiously, smiling at the fact that she was trying to hide, and Rosalie was looking her up and down. Knowing how Rose could be, Edward sent her a warning glance, relaxing when he saw her nod slightly – meaning that she wouldn't do anything to make Bella feel bad. She knew how it felt when you had a mate – after all, she had been with Emmett for almost seventy years. She would be on her best behaviour, not willing to ruin this for her brother.

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Alice was really excited. Her little brother had finally met his mate! Now, she has always been known as the ball of energy in the family, and this was no excuse. Isabella, the new girl, was positively adorable. Alice had been the short one in the family for a while, standing at 5'6" – Rose stood at a nice 5'8", and Esme was somewhere around 5'9". Of course, all the boys were over 6 feet, so now she was glad that the nickname 'Shorty' couldn't really be applied to her anymore; after all, Isabella was only around 4'6". Watching her new sister blush red only encouraged Alice's thoughts on what would look nice on her. Almost immediately, plans to take the newest Cullen shopping flew threw her mind.

Oh, yes, Alice would have fun with her brother's mate. They would soon become the best of friends if she had anything to say about it.

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Emmett, ever the 'genius', was thinking about all of the pranks he could do now that he had a tiny person to help him. Edward's mate was _tiny. _She would definitely be able to fit in the places that he couldn't even dream of fitting in.

He would enjoy having a new sister, as well. He was happy that is younger brother had finally found his mate. Of course, his mind didn't stray far from his plans. He had_ a lot _of revenge to get against his family; they always seemed to find a way to stop him from having fun.

But, if he could get Isabella to help him, than Edward, at least, wouldn't be able to deny him his fun. After all, it basically physically hurt them to deny their mates.

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Watching the newest couple in Forks closely, Rosalie observed just how close her brother and this Isabella were. She was ecstatic that Edward had found someone, of course; she loved her brother as much as she loved the rest of her family. But she also didn't want anyone getting hurt, and Edward had been along for so long that he deserved all the happiness he could get.

She watched silently as Isabella smiled up at Edward, watching the absolute joy flash across her face as he returned it to her. Yes, this Isabella was truly her brother's mate, and she was his. Reassured that it would be nearly impossible for Edward to be hurt at the hands of his mate, Rosalie relaxed and turned to face Emmett.

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Jasper tried to calm his mate down, but even he couldn't look away from his brother and Isabella for long. He had never heard of a case where two people with different spirit animals had mated before, but he could easily tell that they were completely devoted to each other.

He could see by merely looking into Alice's eyes, that she already loved this girl, simply because she was their brother's mate. And, of course, he felt something towards her, too. He hadn't seen Edward smile like he was now in so long, that anyone who could make him feel as happy as he was now was good in Jasper's books.

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Edward pulled out a chair for his Bella, then sat as close to her as their chairs would allow. She surprised him a bit by shifting over into his lap instead, but as if it was a move they had done many times before, his arms automatically opened up to accept her into his embrace. Edward caught his family smiling at them, and it seemed Bella did, as well, for she buried her face in his chest, blushing red. He chuckled slightly, before smiling at his family. They grinned back at him, chuckling slightly at how shy she was. Of course, what more could you expect from a lamb?

_**AN/ So, what do you guys think? Wow, fourth story update within five hours. It feels great to get so much work done. Anyways, review please! And please go to my profile and answer the poll – I need to know which two stories of mine you would rather I work on getting done right now!**_


	3. Counterpart

**Chapter 3 : ****Counterpart**

**coun·ter·part **[**koun**-ter-pahrt] - one of two parts that fit, complete, or complement one another.

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Seeing how shy she was, Edward's siblings let Bella get away with merely telling them to call her Isabella, and how nice it was to meet them. For the rest of lunch, she stayed cuddled into Edward's chest, hiding as much as she could. The others didn't mind, and neither did Edward; of course, he might have been a little biased – after all, he did have his mate pressing as close to him as she could get for nearly an hour. The warmth that practically radiated from her body into his simply would have made him happy, not coupled with the fact that she was his, and she was perfect, and beautiful, and adorable, and wonderful... the list could go on with how he felt about her.

With two more classes in the day, the two eagerly walked out into the parking lot. They had silently agreed that Bella would be coming with him to his house, and so they headed towards her car. Knowing they wouldn't be able to be separated for long, Edward willingly threw his keys towards Alice, and grabbed Bella's keys from her hands. She pouted a bit, but all he had to do was smile and she was fine again.

"Are you ready to really meet my family, Bella?" He asked her softly.

She looked nervous, but knew that it wasn't something she could easily avoid. They both knew that it was impossible for a mated pair to sleep without the other near them, so she saw many sleepovers at the Cullens house in the near future, seeing as Charlie probably wouldn't mind. Edward had already assured her that his parents would adore her. She took a breath, to calm her racing heart, and breathed "Yeah, I'm ready, Edward."

He smiled at the way she said his name, and then took off towards home – now both his home, and Bella's home.

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Esme Cullen was nervous. So nervous, in fact, that she couldn't help standing up and pacing, wringing her fingers. She was happy for her youngest son, don't get that wrong, but she was also worried for him.

In all the books about mating and such, there had never been a single pair like this. A lion and a lamb? Sure, sounds cute in books and movies, but in real life, there are so many problems that come with that. Lions are possessive and protective, dominant, strong, fast... essentially, almost everything a lamb is not. If her son wasn't thinking for just one moment, he could seriously hurt his mate, and that would hurt him in return. Even though Esme had yet to meet Edward's mate, she already loved her simply for being who she was, and that made her all the more worried; worried for both Edward and his mate.

Esme decided that she would just have to see how the couple got along together. After all, if they had gone through the mating process, then they were meant to be.

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Carlisle Cullen was watching his mate pacing back and forth in their living room. They were waiting for their children to return home, so that they could all meet the newest addition to the Cullen family.

From the phone call they had received from a very excited Alice, Carlisle knew that it was nothing but the absolute truth that his son had mated with someone who was seemingly the opposite of him, and while this made him curious – as many people had already said today, 'this had never happened before' – he couldn't deny being excited for Edward, either. His youngest son had been seemingly distancing himself more and more from his family, and he hoped that now that Edward wasn't the only one without a mate at his side, his son would let himself be happy again.

He sincerely hoped that his new daughter had a positive influence on his son. But, then again, lambs are known to be something like pushovers.

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Bella couldn't believe how beautiful the house in front of her was. No, she decided. It is not a house; it is a mansion; a lovely, off-white, Victorian style mansion, at that. But, then again, there were seven people living in that house – it would have to be pretty big if you didn't want to be tripping all over each other all day.

Edward, who had been raised to be a gentleman by both of his parents – and his older siblings had helped a bit, as well – walked around the car at a fast speed, and opened her car door for her. Already knowing just how clumsy his Bella was, he also did not hesitate to wrap and arm around her waist to steady her. They smiled at each other.

Bella was confident in the fact that Edward was her mate, but she was probably the most nervous person on Earth when it came to meeting Edward's family. At lunch, it had been different. Edward's family had known she would most likely be shy – as she is a lamb – so they let her get away with hiding her face, and hardly saying a word. They had been in a cafeteria full of people, who were all looking with amazement at the odd new couple, after all, and Edward's siblings were not emotionless beings; they knew when to leave someone alone.

But, now that it would only be Bella, Edward, and the rest of the Cullens, it was inevitable that she would be talking in the near future. She couldn't avoid meeting her mate's family forever, and she was guessing from how excited Alice had looked at lunch that it would be hard to avoid it for another five minutes, at the most. She could see Edward's Volvo parked close to the garage doors, so she knew that the others had made it here before them; she also knew that it was very probably that they were all standing around inside, waiting for them. While she was happy that they seemed to like her already, she was also one who nearly loathed attention.

Edward broke her out of her thoughts. Her expressions had been getting increasingly more worried, and he decided that a face as beautiful as hers shouldn't be unhappy in any way. He lead her up the front stairs carefully, and opened the door, to see, as expected, his entire family sitting in the living room, eagerly waiting for them.

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Alice Cullen was many things – beautiful, fashionable, and energetic, to name a few. But, unfortunately, patient was not one of them. She had let Bella get away with hiding at lunch, because she knew that if Bella was shy, then the room full of people staring at her was not helping one bit.

She had heard the car pull up the driveway, and park. She had heard two car doors closing. She had heard the soft footsteps of her new sister, and the slightly heavier ones of her brother on the gravel. She had heard every step they took on the front porch. She had heard when they seemingly hesitated before her brother opened the door.

Immediately, all eyes in the room moved towards the couple standing in the doorway. Edward had his arm gently wrapped around Bella, keeping her steady while still keeping her close, and he had hardly glanced towards them yet. He only had eyes for Bella; _his _Bella.

Alice could also hear the quiet, joyful sob her mother let out at seeing the pair.

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All Esme could think about at that moment was how right they looked together. She could tell by the look in their eyes that they were truly mates – not that she had doubted the fact before, but still – and that they were content with each other.

She had never seen her son happier then she saw him now, even when they were younger and it had only been him, Alice, and Emmett together. There was no doubt in her mind that the soft, warm, beautiful creature that her son was holding onto belonged to him, and he to her. She could see it in their eyes.

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Carlisle was happy. He, too, could tell from their eyes that they were in love. It wasn't so much just the mating process that made them love each other, but he could tell that his son had found some reasons during the day to truly love her.

But, Carlisle could not help worrying as well. The curious man he is, always looking for new information, could not let him keep his eyes on their faces. His eyes travelled up and down the couple, looking for anything. And, he found it. At first glance, Edward's arms seemed to be merely protecting her, ensuring her safety in the fact that he didn't want her to fall and hurt herself.

And Carlisle, with his vast knowledge, could tell that by the way his youngest son had his fingers slightly curled, and had her body slightly angled away from everybody but him, that Edward was also silently claiming what was his. The lion's possessive and dominant part was coming out. It was natural for a lion, but Carlisle wondered – and worried – how this part of his son's nature would work. Edward would have to work twice as hard to protect her, being as weak as she was, and he wondered is his son would be able to find the balance between being protective and being possessive.

All the same, Carlisle was happy.

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Bella looked up into the faces of her new family members. From the moment Edward had opened the door, she had felt the burning sensation of eyes taking in her appearance.

She recognized Edward's siblings, and rightfully assumed that the remaining two were his parents. They were as beautiful as the rest of his family, but Edward was the most beautiful in her opinion. He was perfect for her, and she hoped that he felt the same about her.

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Edward watched Bella carefully, but in from the corner of his eye he was watching his families every move. He trusted them, but he knew that Bella was fragile and had to be looked after carefully. If Alice hugged her too tightly, she would most likely be bruised; if Emmett decided he wanted to play a game, then that would probably end with her injured in some way. He loved his family a lot, but ever since this morning ,when she had stepped out of her car in the school parking lot, Bella had become his number one priority, and there would be no stopping him from getting revenge is anything should happen to her. He didn't care if she merely fell. If someone had been close enough to catch her and hadn't, he would make sure they knew to take care of his most prized possession; his Bella.

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Jasper took in how his brother and new sister were standing. Like Carlisle, he noticed the possessive posture Edward had taken. But, he also knew that there was no way Edward would upset Bella in anyway. He imagined trying to hurt Alice, and automatically cringed away from the thought.

Just this one thought had him looking over at her, seeing for himself that she was still as happy as she had been all day. Reassured, he backed up his thought that Edward would never harm Bella. She may be fragile, and he knew the personality traits of lions and lambs, and Edward may be possessive, but the fact remained that they were mates. Edward would always be the dominant one in the relationship, but is Bella so much as became uncomfortable by something he was doing, Edward would most likely yell at himself in his thoughts, and do almost anything to fix the situation so it was to her liking.

Edward was also the one in the family known to overreact, so Jasper found himself idly wondering how Edward would react to simple situations that might even slightly unnerve Bella; he imagined Edward freaking out if a bug crawled on her skin, and that made him chuckle nearly silently. He shook his head when Alice looked in his direction.

If she asked, she would tell him later. Now, they would be introduced to the newest addition to their family.

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Edward, noticing there was no way Bella would speak on her own, and his family seemed to be waiting for one of them to speak, decided to take matters into his own hands. He led Bella carefully – he didn't want her to trip – over to an open loveseat that no doubt his family had specifically left for them. He sat down first, and brought Bella down into his lap. She curled into him easily, nearly duplicating their position from lunch, except she knew she couldn't hide her face away this time. Her eyes were darting from face to face, taking everybody in.

Encouraged by the movement, they decided it was safe to talk now. "Well, Edward. Aren't you going to introduce us properly?" Alice asked impatiently. Like mentioned earlier, patience was not one of her characteristics, and she had been waiting all day for this moment.

"Of course," he replied without taking his eyes off Bella. "Mom, Dad, this is Bella, my mate." He moved her a little bit, so that his parents could see her face better.

"It's wonderful to meet you, dear." Esme said sincerely.

"Thank you." Bella whispered. Everyone had to strain their ears to hear her. "It's nice to meet you, too. You have a beautiful home, Mrs. Cullen."

"Thank you." A sure way to win Esme's heart was to compliment her house. She's an interior designer, and took pride in keeping her house clean and organized. "And please, Bella. We're family now. Call me Esme."

"Esme." Bella said. She was becoming more confident the longer the spent there. Edward was helping a bit my rubbing small circles of her arms.

"And call me Carlisle." He smiled gently down at her. He could see that she needed to be treated gently.

"Okay, Carlisle." She smiled brightly at him. Edward smiled as well; both because of her smile and the fact that she had spoken in a normal tone of voice. She was comfortable where she was, and she let him know it by turning herself completely to face his family, while still leaning close to him.

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Bella had been accepted as a member of the Cullen family, and she knew it. She could feel it in the atmosphere around her, and could hear it in the gentle tones of their voices. She had never felt more comfortable than she did then, not even when she was in Phoenix with Renee and Phil, or when she had started getting used to Charlie's routines and habits. Here, in the Cullen house, surrounded by Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, Carlisle, Esme, and sitting in Edward's embrace... she felt like she was home.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

_**AN/ Just in case many of you don't visit my profile, two things I want to tell you :**_

_**I now have a blog that will have information on new updates or stories, or just anything in general that relates to FanFiction.**_

_**On my profile, there is a poll that I would like people to take. It is about which two stories of mine people would like to see updated and finished right at the moment, so I can get a good idea about which stories I should focus on.**_

_**Review, please!**_


	4. Celestial

**Chapter 4: ****Celestial**

**ce·les·tial **[s_uh_-**les**-ch_uh_l] - pertaining to the spiritual or invisible heaven; heavenly; divine.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

The afternoon with Edward's family passed slowly and quietly, and all too soon they realized that they had yet to inform Charlie of Bella's newly-mated status.

Bella was apprehensive. She knew that her father could do nothing about it, but she didn't know how he would feel about the fact that she had just moved here a week ago, and now she was most likely going to be spending all her time away from home, at the Cullen's house. She loved Charlie, she really did, but not even the love she had for her father could prevent her from spending all her time with Edward, now.

Edward could see Bella's worry, and did his best to calm her down by holding her hand and gently rubbing her back. He took comfort in it when she smiled up at him, though he could still see her troubles in her eyes. He knew, though, that he couldn't do much accept be by her side when she shared the news with Charlie.

He tried to picture how the Chief of Police would react to finding out that his daughter had found her mate at the tender age of 16. Though, she would forever be sixteen, but that was beside the point. Edward had gone through high school many times, as was required by the government if you were frozen at an age where generally you would be in school still. He considered this torture, but now he was sure he would no longer think so, with Bella at his side.

Most of the family wished them luck – it seemed Rosalie was still a little hesitant about the little lamb – and so they left, heading off to Chief Swan's house to tell him that his daughter was now somebody's mate.

Doesn't that sound fun?

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Even though he could tell that Bella was hesitant to get out of the car, and he knew that they had to just get this over with, Edward was definitely the more frightened of the two. I mean, come on, Chief Swan had a _gun, _and was a policeman, which means that he basically has a license to kill. He didn't really feel like getting shot on the same day that he met his mate; talk about bad luck, or what.

Still, his fear did not stop him from trying to calm down Bella's own worries. He was worried that she was going to bite a hole right through her lip, and as selfish as this sounds, he wanted those lips to be in one piece, and he knew that if she were to make herself bleed it would undoubtedly hurt her.

He leaned over, and gently made her teeth let go of her lip. He couldn't help himself when he ran his thumb over it, trying to soothe it a bit.

Now, they had been sitting in the car outside Bella's home for around five minutes, and Edward could see the curtains moving slightly side to side, so he knew that Bella's father had noticed them. He figured that they couldn't put this off any longer, and so opened his door and made his way over to Bella's, carefully helping her out. He didn't relinquish his hold after she was safely out of the vehicle; instead, he wrapped his strong arm around her waist and closed her car door.

With a watchful eye, he helped her up the steps leading to the front door, and stood with her as she took a deep breath. He squeezed her waist slightly before moving his hand towards the doorknob, and opening the door.

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Charlie Swan did not know what to think when he saw his only daughter sitting in a car, being held by an unfamiliar face. He could tell, even though he was pretty far away, that they had mated.

His daughter, his sixteen year old daughter, had found her mate within one week of him getting her back. He had been so excited to have her living with him, and he didn't think that she could find her soul mate because he knew for a fact that there were no others lambs in Forks, or even any animals like them. Not very many people managed to be as shy and clumsy as Bella, who deserved her spirit animal completely.

Looking at the boy she was now with, he took in his appearance, shocked; a lion? There had to be some king of mistake, here. There was no way his sweet and innocent daughter could possibly be fated to be with a lion.

But, seeing the way they were looking at each other, made him think differently. Her face, from what he could see, held content, and his held adoration. He knew they must be here so that Bella could introduce her mate to him, and then tell him that he probably wouldn't see her around as often. He knew that it was physically painful for a mated pair to be separated for long, and as much as he hated the thought of her sleeping in the same bed as this boy, he wanted to keep her from pain even more, whether it is physical or emotional pain; which means that he would be almost completely giving up his only daughter to someone he had yet to meet.

He watched as the young man helped Bella out of the car. He witnessed the careful way he held onto her, obviously making sure that she didn't so much as stumble. The way he was watching her so carefully made Charlie believe that this boy would do everything in his power to ensure that his mate – in this case, Bella – was safe. And that is just the way Charlie liked it – Bella was too fragile for anything else.

Of course, being the Chief of Police, he had been trained to take in every detail of possible suspects and such, so he scrutinized this boy's appearance carefully. He could just about recognize where he might have seen him from; the boy looked like one of the Cullen's, though he couldn't remember which one was the one without a mate.

With his knowing gaze, it was a no brainer that Charlie would also notice the fact that this boy was nothing even close to a lamb. He moved back into the living room, dumb-founded about this new happening; however, he could not remove the memory of Bella's face when she had looked up at her mate.

Whatever the differences between the two were, they loved each other, and so, it didn't matter. Charlie could see that.

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Bella watched nervously as the door opened. When Charlie didn't immediately come running to meet them, she let out the breath she didn't know she was holding in, and tugged Edward inside and towards the living room, where no doubt her father was sitting, waiting for them.

She wasn't as worried as she had been earlier, but she wondered how her father would take this; they hadn't really had that much time to really create a nice father-daughter relationship, but that didn't mean that they didn't love each other.

Renee had forcibly removed Bella from Charlie's grasp twelve years ago, bringing her hours away from him, and when she finally decides to move back here, she meets her mate on her first day of school – a sure ticket out of Charlie's house. The Cullen's had invited her to live with them, and as there wasn't much space at her house, she knew she would be moving in with them as soon as possible –that is, if her father allowed it.

Edward, however, was not thinking of anything like this. He wondered, of course, how Chief Swan would take it, but knew he was a sensible enough man that wouldn't even attempt to come between a pair of soul mates, even if one half of said pair of soul mates consists of his one and only daughter. No, Charlie Swan had been around many years – 138, to be exact – and so had seen the repercussions of separating soul mates; depressions, anxiety, insanity... and, eventually, death. Charlie would never want that for Bella, and Edward knew this.

So, Edward tightened his grip around his mate's waist, and calmly allowed her to pull her towards where he father was most likely waiting. He had to just go through with this little conversation, and then they should be fine. Then, he would be allowed to spend forever with his Bella wrapped in his arms, without the fear of anybody trying to get in between them – he could just _be _with her, without any fears of being separated.

Then again, it's not as if Edward would let anyone get away with attempting to separate them. He had just found her, but he knew he would always feel like he hadn't had enough time with her. She was his, and he wouldn't allow anybody to try to take her from him.

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"Dad, this is Edward Cullen." Bella spoke quietly in the even quieter room. All you could hear was the gentle breathing of its three occupants, and the murmurs of cars passing by about every five minutes – it's not like there were that many cars in Forks.

When Charlie didn't say anything, just assessed this _Edward Cullen_, Edward took it upon himself to break the silence. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Chief Swan," holding his hand out towards his mate's father.

Bella and Edward had just sat down on the couch after entering the living room, and so far all that Charlie had done was sit there and look at the two, filing away their every movement, touch, glance into some previously untouched mental file on Bella's love life. He could see this made them a little uncomfortable, but he also knew from his training that in situations of discomfort people tended to show more of their true colours. Some sort of technique the brain used to get them to feel a little bit safer in their environment.

However, Edward had been around a long time. Not as long as Charlie, but long enough to have an inkling of what he was doing. It helped that he had also practiced keeping his cool over the years, and not showing his true emotions. You had to be good at hiding things when you had Emmett and Alice for siblings – those two would tease you relentlessly about anything, even if it was something as simple as tripping over your feet. He could already tell that they were going to have a lot of fun, now that Bella was around. She stumbled around so much that they would probably hardly ever stop laughing.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Edward." Charlie finally answered, reaching forward and grabbing the other man's hand, never stopping the eye contact. From that one hand shake, Charlie could tell a lot of things – and the most important was that this Edward was strong, and would take good care of Bella. Although, it's not as if Charlie couldn't tell that by just looking into his eyes; he had only meant the hand shake to show a sense of peace. And it did. "I want you to take good care of her, son." And Charlie smiled.

Edward, though practiced in the art of hiding his feelings, could do nothing to cover up the relief he felt when Chief Swan called him 'son'. He had his parents, and he would never replace Carlisle, could never replace him – but being called 'son' by his mate's father told him that he was truly accepted, and that meant the world to him at the moment.

Now, there was nobody between him and his everything, his love, his Bella.

Charlie smiled briefly, as well, but not being one for emotional situations, he quickly changed the subject.

"So, Edward, how do you feel about football?"

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After watching one game of football (Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Rams – "I have never cheered for any team except the Seahawks," Charlie had said. "Even if they lose, they will always be my team. What's your team, son?"), and following it with a post-game interview with the coaches, Edward and Bella bid goodbye to her father; sometime during the game, she had went upstairs and packed an overnight bag with clothes that would last her around a week. They hadn't completely discussed when she would move in, but Edward could see that she was hesitant to leave Charlie completely by himself. At least this way, she would be stopping by every couple of days, taking her stuff little by little, letting him get used to being without her.

Edward wanted this, he wanted her to live with him, he wanted her to sleep next to him, but he could see that it made her upset that she had to leave her father alone, when she had just started getting to know him. All the times Bella had spoken to her father over the years hadn't made them any closer, and now she most likely wouldn't ever be able to know what kind of person this was.

Edward drove them home – to _their _home, because it was hers now just as much as it was his – and grinned when he looked over to see her asleep in the seat. He wrapped her tiny hand in his, revelling in the heat that practically radiated off her.

Just like he had been unable to hide the relief, anybody in a hundred-foot radius could probably feel the happiness that he was pushing out at that moment.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

Edward lifted Bella out of his car, and headed towards the house. Entering, he passed his smiling family members – who were happy to see both of them, happy that their family was complete, finally – and walked upstairs to his – and now Bella's – bedroom, laying her down on the bed.

He stood there, just watching her for a couple of minutes, before he felt the need to be close to her again. Barely taking a second to take both his and his mate's shoes off, Edward crawled into bed, making sure that she was firmly tucked in. He pulled her into his chest, sighing when she cuddled into him more.

He fell asleep smiling like an idiot, knowing that for the first time of many times, he held the world in his hands.

_**AN/ Update, woo. I'm tired. I have a headache. I am watching a really boring movie. Review, please. I want to know how you liked this. I know there isn't much talking yet, but I'll get around to the conversations soon.**_


	5. Amaranthine

**Chapter 5: ****Amaranthine**

**am·a·ran·thine **[am-_uh_-**ran**-thin, -thahyn] - unfading; everlasting.

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What is Heaven?

Heaven is defined as the abode of God, the angels, and the spirits of the righteous after death, or the place or state of existence of the blessed after the mortal life. It is usually classified as a part of the sky, an expanse of space surrounding the earth. There are many different theories on the existence of Heaven, angels; many people even question God, though there are others who are religiously devoted to Him. The idea of Heaven is different between every person on earth.

For Edward and Bella, however, they knew exactly how to describe Heaven.

If Bella was curled up against Edwards chest, with his strong arms tightly wrapped around her tiny frame, not allowing any part of her to be more than an inch away from his tall, lean body, and they were looking into each other's eyes, their breathing in perfect sync, and electricity tingling through their bodies every time they shifted, then they were Heaven. And they loved this Heaven.

When the two had awoken, they didn't have it in themselves to get up to go to school. They wanted to spend as long as much time as they could, given the circumstances, alone together – with no prying eyes of the curious people of Forks, who were no doubt still pondering over this new development. It would most likely be a topic of gossip for months to come, as it is something completely unheard of before – and seeing how hardly anything happened in Forks, this was big news for the tiny, cloud-covered town.

Bella had yawned and rubbed her eyes with her fists, slowly blinking her eyes open. Edward had been up, just watching her for a while, waiting for her to wake up. He was glad he had managed to wake up before her – usually, he was a late sleeper – because now he was certain that he didn't ever want to miss her waking up; it was too adorable. Feeling his gaze on her, she smiled sleepily, and curled as far into his chest as she could, and sighed in happiness when he pulled her in tighter. He let her warmth seep into him, filling every part of his body. He took in several deep breaths of her scent, and focused his hearing on only her breathing. This was truly Heaven – for Edward and Bella, at least.

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The rest of the Cullens had wisely decided to ignore the newest couple for now. The children went to school, and Carlisle headed off to work at the hospital as always. Esme stayed home, tending to her garden, doing some laundry, cleaning random spots of the house that were starting to gather a bit of dust. She also spent the day avoiding the third floor, where Edward's – and now Bella's, too – room was.

She hadn't heard any noise come from up there, but she knew they were most likely awake. It was past noon now, for though Edward had never liked when his alarm woke him up, he had never slept past eleven before, unless he was sick. Esme had raised the kids to wake up at a decent hour, even if there was to be no school that day.

Esme could not remember a time when she had been happier. She had been ecstatic as Emmett and Alice both, in turn, found their mates; it was hard for her, a mother at hear, to leave them alone, but she gave them their privacy. All the years together, she had worried about her youngest, Edward, who always seemed lonely and resigned to a life alone. She saw the little bit of hope whenever they encountered a lion, and also saw it disappear as he didn't feel any of the effects of mating. Even she had been beginning to lose all hope of the idea that he would find his mate, someday.

The little lamb that was currently upstairs had brought all this happiness into the house. She had never seen Edward as content as he had been when she was at his side; and, like her husband, she, too, had noticed all of the protective measures Edward had even when faced with his own family. Esme knew, that if Edward had any say in things – and she knew he always would – little Isabella Swan would never be harmed by anything or anyone; Edward would make sure of it.

It had been hard for her to hide the worry about her son, but now she had no reason to worry. Her family was finally complete.

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"What's your favourite colour?" Edward asked Bella randomly. They had been staring into each other's eyes, basking in the contentment they received from just being in the other's presence, when he realized that he didn't really know this tiny creature. And that made him desperately want to know about her – everything about her; he wanted to know all of her hopes and desires, her likes and dislikes; he wanted to know what made her tick.

Sometime, Bella must have realized this, too, so she wasn't too confused by his seemingly arbitrary question. "Blue; midnight blue."

Edward smiled; he favoured midnight blue, too. And when he imagined her wearing clothes of that colour, he smiled wider; midnight blue would make her look delectable – well, more so than she already was. "That is my favourite colour, as well," he said, causing Bella to smile softly at him. They had found something in common, besides that they were each other's perfect soul mates.

The questions continued: favourite music, favourite hobby, questions about friends, family, favourite subjects... anything that came to either Edward's or Bella's mind was asked. But no matter how many questions they asked, they always felt as if they couldn't learn enough about the other.

They were aware when Edward's siblings returned from school; it was hard to miss Emmett's booming laugh travelling up the stairs and through the closed door. They had remained tangled up in each other all day, just getting to know each other. Edward once would have thought that this kind of thing was pathetic, but now he realized just how it felt to want to know more about his mate. Now he knew how it felt to even _have _a mate, and he was reluctant to even _think_ about letting her go anywhere without him. It was only when he heard a slight moaning sound from his Bella's stomach did Edward realize that neither of them had eaten at all during the day, and he became worried that she would become sick from lack of food.

And, so the over protectiveness began.

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Esme had started dinner early, fully aware of the fact that neither of the members of the newly mated couple had managed to make it down to grab anything to eat. She fondly remembered the first days after she had met Carlisle; she also worried about the fact that Edward didn't seem to want to allow Bella to be alone. Carlisle and Esme had been able to be apart right away, though it was uncomfortable.

For now, Esme would just brush it off as an after effect of being a new couple. How wrong she was.

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It was around four when Edward lifted Bella into his arms, and carried her downstairs. Esme was just finishing up setting the table, and had been about to call for them when they turned into the dining room. She smiled as Edward moved his chair and Bella's closer together, practically placing her on his lap when he sat down.

"Good mor- err, good afternoon, rather." He said to her. With just his eyes, he apologized to his mother for not making it out of his room all day. She nodded to him; quick as that, all was forgiven. Edward had always been good at reading people; so much so, that he had been accused many times of being able to read minds. He had always denied it, but Emmett or Alice still brought it up every once in a while.

Edward had already realized how difficult it was for him to read Bella; it was like something was blocking him from understanding him more, and that frustrated him. He wished he could read her mind, and her mind alone, but also knew that the wishing was futile; he would never be granted the chance to know exactly what she was thinking, no matter how much he wanted to.

"Dinner will be in about an hour, but I've made you sandwiches to tide you over until then. Really, you two, you need to remember to eat. You can end up starving yourselves by just staying upstairs all day long." She playfully reprimanded them, smiling kindly as Bella blushed slightly. Edward smiled sheepishly, squeezing his mate's hand. Esme sat the sandwiches down in front of them; she had cut Bella's in half, and only gave her one half of it; the other, she put alongside Edward's two sandwiches. Seeing this, Bella smiled in thanks to her, happily reaching for her meal. Edward took in her childlike innocence with wonder, barely looking as her, too, reached for a sandwich. It would take some getting used to, him being awestruck by everything about her.

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Emmett came into the room then, and immediately chuckled a bit as he noticed that his new little sister was so small, that her feet were swinging as she sat in the chair. She looked at him, widening her eyes slightly, before turning her gaze down embarrassed. She bit her lip, causing Edward to look towards it and think about kissing her, though now was not the time; she needed to eat in order to remain healthy. He couldn't bare it if she fell sick just because she hadn't eaten enough.

"Well, so you two finally realized you had to eat, eh? What happened, did Bella find out that Edward wasn't as interesting as she thought he was?" He laughed afterwards, in his usual overwhelming way of filling the room with his reverberating laugh. Emmett had a little problem with being quiet. It took him years longer than what was normal for him to understand what he needed to do to whisper. He liked for everybody to know when he was in the room, though it was hard to miss his hulking frame. He was a rather overpowering being. It was no wonder that he was a bear.

"Shut up, Emmett." Edward replied, used to his brother's moronic jokes. He had grown up with him, after all, though he seemed to be able to resist the teasing better now; he knew that his new found control was because of Bella. Yet another reason for him to be thankful for her position in his life.

"Oh, come on, Edward. It was just a joke." Emmett whined, though he was surprised. It usually didn't take very much before Edward would snap and lunge at whoever was making fun of him; he had a very short temper, usually. "Besides, we all know it's true."

"I'm warning you." Edward replied, finishing off the last bite of his sandwich. He had polished all two and half down quickly, but Bella had only eaten around half of her portion. Not eating all day had made her feel a little bit sick and uncomfortable, so she was taking her time in getting it down, still slightly swinging her feet as she tried uselessly to feel the ground beneath her. She had always hated how small she was, and now even more so to see that she was the smallest in this family. Though everyone thought she fit in with the criteria needed for being a lamb, she knew that the only reason she even slightly resembled the adorable little animals was because she _was _one. It's not like you get to choose what Tier in Geist you will get; you just got what you got.

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Let me explain that part better. Say, if Bella hadn't come out all cute and cuddly like she is, but instead had come out to be rather self-confident and assertive, she probably would have been something like a tiger. If she had come out sneaky and exuberant, she probably would have been a monkey. Nobody gets to choose just what Animal in Spirit – Tier in Geist – they will receive, but their personalities always grow into their spirit animal. That is the way things have always been, and why people have grown used to the judging of character just from one look at either the ears or tail. It is easy to tell what each person will be like before even being properly introduced from just one simple glance.

That is one of the drawbacks of this world; the judgement of others. Many animals like to find others of their 'kind' and start covens, or tribes or whatever. Just like the real animals in the wild. Others become quite primitive, taking after their spirit animal and living alone in the woods, forgetting that they are indeed part human. That's what we are: only part human. I do not know how we became this way, whether by evolution or experiment, but we are what we are, and nothing will ever change that.

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Edward and Bella remained sitting at the table, talking quietly, as the others drifted into the living room. Esme moved about the kitchen quickly and efficiently, making sure the meal was finished just as she heard her mate's car pull up on the driveway outside. She smiled, happy at the thought that he was home now, before setting all of the food on the table.

Edward and Bella headed off quickly to wash their hands, and returned within five minutes. The others walked in after washing up, as well, and they all felt the feeling that here, with the newest addition of their family, they were complete now; and they all knew that they would do anything in their power to make sure their family only grew in numbers, not decrease. They would do anything to protect each other, especially Bella.

Unfortunately, lambs are always an easy target for predators.

_**AN/ I apologize for taking so long to get this out, but here it is. Another chapter will be out tomorrow; head over to my blog to see when I will be planning to make updates.**_


	6. Irrevocable

**Chapter 6: Irrevocable**

**ir·rev·o·ca·ble **[ih-**rev**-_uh_-k_uh_-b_uh_l] - unable to be repealed or annulled; unalterable.

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When it had been just Bella and Renee, dinnertime had been an event unto itself. Renee couldn't cook a meal to save her life; nicely put, she could burn water. Bella had taken over the cooking at a young age, and had never received any complaints about anything she attempted; so, she had thought herself to be a decent cook.

Until she tried some of Esme's cooking; after that, she started to think of herself as one of the worst cooks in history. Esme's food was that good.

Used to cooking for a large group – and Emmett, as the amount of food he could take in at once was enough to keep a small country afloat – it was no problem at all for Esme to add in just enough food for one tiny lamb, such as Isabella Swan.

Now, Bella had never seen this much food in her life. As Renee and Phil were both rabbits, they were – of course- very picky eaters. And Bella could barely take in more than a toddler's amount without feeling ill. It seemed that Esme had picked up on that, and so only served Bella amounts that she can easily take in. Compared to everybody else's plates, it looked like her plate was for a baby; the amount of food was so small.

Esme was born to be a mother, as her both her children and her husband had told her many times in the past; she had a sixth sense for these types of things. Just like how she knew how much to give Bella when she was making the sandwiches, she knew how much extra to make for her while preparing dinner. Bella was fitting into the Cullen family seamlessly, just like how both she and Edward wanted her to fit in.

Now, hopefully Edward could earn the approval of Charlie in the same way.

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Chief Swan had resigned himself to the fact that he wouldn't get to see his daughter as often as he had expected to when she moved here; he had heard many a tale of what it's like to find your mate – a privilege he had yet to receive. Though, he didn't feel lonely in anyway; he was content enough to spend his days working and fishing. His job and hobby were all the family he needed, though I am not saying that Charlie did not love his daughter, because he did – very much so. He had been devastated when Renee left, taking Bella with her, but he understood that Renee wanted to find her mate. Charlie had never been good at expressing his feelings, so he knew that Renee would be the better choice to take care of Bella.

All he could be glad for was that he had one good week with her, before she got carried away by that lion. Edward Cullen.

"You better treat her right, Edward." Charlie spoke aloud, taking a sip of his beer before turning on the television; there was a game on tonight.

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Rosalie Hale warmed up to Bella as soon as she saw the tiny girl blush. It was hard to resist that blush, and even harder to deny the fact that Edward and Bella were perfect together. They balanced each other out, while most couples just matched each other; it was refreshing to see.

She could clearly remember when she had met Emmett, though she had still been so frightened of every man besides her brother, Jasper. She had grown to love Emmett quickly, though perhaps not as instantaneous as was the norm.

Rosalie could also clearly remember the night those men had taken her innocence away from her, no matter how many times she tried to wipe it from memory.

She strongly hoped that little Bella would never go through something like that. It's one thing for her to go through it – she was and is a bear, a strong animal – but, a lamb most likely wouldn't make it out alive. And, in turn, Edward would go, as well.

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Carlisle watched his family accept their newest member easily, as if she belonged there; and she did. As his wife had been thinking throughout the day, it was easy to tell that their family was now complete. It may have taken over a century, but every member now had their other halves... there was no longer an unevenness in the family. Everything was as it should be.

He had looked over Bella's medical file, and had waited for the moment during dinner to ask her; he didn't want to make her uncomfortable, and she seemed quite relaxed. He cleared his throat a bit, before speaking.

"Bella, could you answer a question for me?" He looked directly at the young girl, who – of course – blushed a light pink. It lit up her eyes, causing them to almost sparkle.

"Okay." She spoke softly – so softly that everybody had to strain their ears to hear her. But, that's how she almost always spoke. She didn't like to raise her voice very much.

"I took a look at your medical files – I just wanted to be sure I knew if you had allergies or anything – and I noticed that your history is quite... well, large." He didn't need to explain anymore than that. Bella blushed even more, and looked down at her hand that Edward still firmly held on to. Edward had tensed up at the thought of her having to go to a hospital... and the fact that she had been there many times made him wonder if anyone had ever hurt her on purpose. If anyone did, he would kill them.

"Umm, yea. I fall down a lot." She sheepishly smiled, before ducking her head down when Emmett started laughing. When he calmed down a bit, she continued. "I really shouldn't be let out of the house. My... clumsiness should be classified as a disability, or something. I've never gone a day without getting at least a bruise."

Carlisle smiled at her, nodding at what she said. Her many trips had all been noted as 'accidental falls' or anything like that; he had just wanted to confirm it. It was obvious by the way she was talking that she was telling the truth. Carlisle had had a lot of experience with trying to find lies... people had come to him trying to fake an illness to get out of school, to get some medication... many reasons people had lied to him. He had to learn how to be good at seeing the truth.

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Charlie called Renee that night, telling both her and Phil about the events that had transpired. Renee pretty near made him deaf by the way she squealed into the phone... he pulled it away quickly, but that didn't prevent it from ringing a bit.

Renee had always had this feeling that Bella would find her mate soon. She barely cared that this boy who had bewitched her daughter's heart and soul seemed to be completely wrong for her; Fate would not better than anyone else just who would belong with each other. After all, it had brought her to Phil.

When they hung up the phone, Renee sent a little prayer up; something she rarely did.

_Please; let Charlie be happy and find his mate._

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Bella had never been happier, but she knew that with every second that passed she would love Edward more and more. He was perfect. He always held her tightly, as if he never wanted to let go, and he hadn't let her fall since he had held her for the first time. When she was with him, everything was right with the world. There was nothing that anybody could possibly do to ruin her mood; except, of course, try to separate her and Edward.

If she was without him, it just might kill her. Of that, she was certain of.

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Edward thought the same thing about her. For years, he had felt that he was whole in himself; that he needed nobody but himself to make himself feel complete. He had believed that until the very second he had laid his eyes on his little lamb; at that moment, he had realized that he needed her to survive, as if she was the air he needed to breathe. He knew that his Bella was very vital to his health. Without her, he would perish.

Though he realized that his family had easily accepted her into their midst, he still found himself sending warning glances there way, as if to say _hurt her and I will kill you._

He could not deny it; he would murder anybody, even his own family, if they ever tried to hurt her.

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_ -Dad_

_ Staying at the Cullens for awhile; I'll call you when I'm coming back. If..._

_ I love you._

_ Bella_

This is the text message Charlie received that day. He knew what the discontinued sentence was – _If I come back_. Not even Bella knew if she would return to her father.

He sighed. "I'm going to miss you, Bells." He spoke to the screen.

_-Bella_

_ It's okay. I understand. Be sure to call me._

_ Dad_

He sent the text message, whispering as it went, "And I love you, too, kiddo."

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Bella read the text message, knowing what her father was trying to say. Neither of them had ever been very good at sharing their emotions; Bella had hesitated many times before adding the _I love you_ into the text message she had sent earlier.

She had also noticed that Edward had tensed up when he saw her right those three very important words to somebody else, even if it was her own father.

"Edward, I'm just texting Charlie. I kind of feel guilty that I just got here, and now I'm ditching him." She looked down at her father's number saved in her phone. "God, I'm such a horrible daughter."

It took everything in Edward's willpower not to growl at her for putting herself down like that. "No, you're not, love. You just met me." He smirked arrogantly. "Your father will understand that it is hard for us to be apart. He's a rather sensible guy, and he wants you to be happy."

She curled into him, breathing in his calming sent. "I know, but still. I can't help but feel guilty. The emotion is like hard-wired into my brain, or something." She giggled a little, causing him to smile and tighten his hold. He laid his chin down on her hair, bringing one of his hands up to twist it into her long locks, brushing through them. She mewled a little – which he found both adorable and sexy at the same time – and shivered in pleasure.

They continued that way until Bella yawned, causing Edward to laugh and kiss her head. He thought about kissing her for real – and even though he was burning with the desire to claim her – he wanted their first time to be special. He had already thought about bringing her to his meadow – now, their meadow – and knew that it would be the perfect place to bring her. Until he had laid eyes on her, he had thought the meadow to be the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

He never thought that he would have a mate that would make it appear dull in comparison. But, of course, Bella could outshine anything.

He took pleasure when Bella turned into him, her warm, moist breath tickling his neck. He slowly heard her breathing even out, knowing she had fallen asleep on his lap. He smiled; she already knew that the place she belonged was as close to him as possible.

Though he knew he would have to treat her with care, Edward also knew that he wanted her to be his. He was hers, in a way, but he was clearly the stronger one. And, though he had never had thoughts about this before, all he couldn't help but think about her as _his_, almost as if she were a possession.

His most treasured possession, by far, but his possession, all the same.


	7. Astound

**Chapter 7: Astound**

**as·tound **[_uh_-**stound**] - to overwhelm with amazement; astonish greatly.

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The next day, the rest of the Cullens called in sick at both school and work; it was time for them to get to know their newest member, if they were going to be staying in the same house all the time, now.

Esme, Emmett, and Alice were by far the most excited. The others were happy, as well, but not to the same calibre as those three. Alice and Emmett were practically wearing a hole in the floor while they were pacing, waiting anxiously for their brother to bring down his young mate, and Esme was biting her lip in anticipation. Bella seemed like a sweet girl, and Esme desperately hoped that she would feel as if she fit in with their family. She wanted the young girl to feel welcome.

With Esme's motherly intuition, she had quite easily picked up on the difference in Bella's personality than her other children. Bella was calm, shy, and soft-spoken. She didn't like to raise her voice, didn't like attention, and didn't like to be surrounded by people. She was very much like a small child in that way; curious about everything, but not curious enough to want to know about it.

She knew that it would take a while for Bella to settle in with her family; they were all far different than her, especially Edward – who was, at times, loud and rough. Edward could become increasingly agitated at even the simplest things, where as Esme could tell that Bella had most likely never been angry in her short life.

Such were the differences between a lion and a lamb.

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Edward had heard his family getting up, and had heard his father making the necessary phone calls to ensure that the news of the Cullens staying home was known to everyone their absence from town would concern. Everybody understood, obviously. It wasn't so different than what other families did when welcoming a new member.

Bella had been making soft whimpering sounds, burying her head into his chest, making him purr slightly in satisfaction. He knew he wouldn't be able to get away with letting her sleep very much longer, which he regretted. She was very adorable when she slept; though, he greatly missed seeing her eyes.

He shook her gently, watching as she tensed up, and then relaxed when she recognized who was waking her. She stretched beside him on the bed, smacking her lips together before yawning and scrunching her little fists into her eyes. When she was done all that, she looked at him, cocking her head to the side in silent question: _Why did you wake me up?_

He smiled, brushing some stray strands of hair out of her face. "My family is quite eager to get to know you, love. We shouldn't keep them waiting very much longer." His smile widened when she blinked, slowly comprehending what he was saying. She nodded at him, but didn't move from his side; instead, she curled farther into his embrace, breathing his scent in deeply, as he did with hers.

And, though Edward and Bella wanted nothing more than to make a repeat of yesterday, Edward remembered that Bella needed to eat more often than he did, so he lifted her gently, setting her on her feet, and got up to stand beside her.

He was surprised when she reached up high to his shoulders, jumping slightly and climbing onto his back, but he wasn't about to ask her to get off; her warmth was pleasant, spreading around his back like this. He would have asked her stay like that for the rest of their lives, if he had been able to see her face. But, as he couldn't – and he knew that he would never be able to live without looking into her eyes again – he made due with the walk down the stairs.

Edward chuckled when he saw Alice glaring at him for taking so long, but stopped when he felt Bella tense up. He knew that she wasn't used to all the attention she had been getting lately, so he soothed her slightly by rubbing her arm that was grasped tightly around his neck. It soothed her quite easily – as he knew it would – and she relaxed against his back again, glancing shyly around his head towards his – their – family.

Esme spoke first. "Bella, dear; I think it's a good idea that we take some time to get to know everybody better, alright?" Her voice was slightly hesitant: she wasn't sure how Bella would react – but, overall, it was still very friendly and motherly. Bella noted, with a miniscule amount of jealousy, that Esme sounded more like a mother than Renee ever had; Renee had been born to be a child, not to be the _mother_ of a child.

But, she hid these negative feelings; and, she did want to get to know her knew family better.

"Okay." Her voice was small and soft, everyone in the room straining to hear it. Esme put it aside, knowing that if Bella ever wanted to be heard in this family, she would have to learn to speak up. Though, eyeing the tiny, shy girl, she didn't believe that Bella would ever try to draw attention to herself – mostly, she thought, if Bella wanted to say something, she would have Edward say it for her.

Edward pulled her into his arms, sitting in the only available chair left in the living room. He placed his mate in his lap, pulling her firmly yet gently against his chest, and allowing her to get herself comfortable. Bella pulled her legs up, crossing them over Edward's, and leaned against him, sighing.

Alice, it seemed, had been patient enough for the morning. "So, Bella; you're from Phoenix, right?" At the girl's slightly confused nod, she continued. "What's it like there?" Edward sent her a thankful look, knowing that she was just trying to ease Bella into a conversation where she would be the focal point. He was glad that his family wasn't overwhelming his little lamb... yet.

He knew they wouldn't be able to hold back forever.

"Umm..." Her voice was quiet, but she seemed content enough to share some information with them. "Well, it's the complete opposite of Forks-" no one missed how her nose wrinkled slightly in distaste as she spoke the town name "- for example, the weather. It rains an average of about, 3 or 4 days a year; maybe more. And, there are hardly any trees, or foliage of any kind. Well, there are cacti, but that's about it. It's too hot and dry for anything else." Edward was slightly jealous; it was the most he had heard her speak, and his family had managed to bring it out of her. Maybe he would have to start asking her more questions... she didn't seem against it at the moment. For now, however, he was content to just listen to what his family had to ask her.

"So, does that mean you don't like Forks?" Jasper asked carefully. He wasn't quite sure how to act around someone as seemingly fragile as little Bella. She looked for all the world like just someone breathing on her could break a bone or two.

"No; Forks is nice, it's just different. It'll take some getting used to." She answered him, hoping that none of them would be upset about the way she thought of their town. She looked down at Edward's hands that were wrapped around her tightly, and started playing with his fingers, twisting and turning them in her little hands. Edward wasn't about to complain.

"Okay, well... do you like shopping?" Alice asked, not being able to stay off the topic of spending money any longer. The family snickered at her, while Bella just looked at her a little fearfully – Alice was, of course, bouncing in place on the couch, excited about the idea of having a new shopping partner.

"Oh, uh... not really" Bella whispered, hoping that she wouldn't hear; she didn't want to disappoint her new 'sister', or make her angry. Against her wishes, though, Alice did hear, causing her to go into mild shock for a moment, before shaking herself out of it.

"What? How can somebody not like shopping?" She screeched, not even trying to keep her voice down anymore. Bella winced, covering her ears slightly; Edward glared at his sister warningly, willing to do anything to protect his mate.

"Not everybody enjoys spending money on things they don't even need, Alice." Carlisle answered, trying to calm his son down before he did anything rash. Edward was known in the family as the one to lose his temper quickly. Jasper eyed Edward, making sure he wasn't planning on attacking his mate for something as silly as talking too loudly; though, admittedly, her squealing had even made his ears ring slightly, despite the fact that he had gotten quite used to her thriving personality over the decades they had been together.

Edward held himself back, knowing that if he tried to attack his sister now, he would only end up hurting his lamb. He made do with sending her warning glare, along with a slight growl, which caused Bella to shiver. It was quite amusing how fact his expression changed when he realized that she was cold. He coddled her like a little child, grabbing a blanket that Esme passed to him, knowing that he would want it. After Bella was wrapped up snugly, still lying in his arms, the questions continued.

They varied from _'What's your favourite colour?' _to _'Have you ever been drunk?'_ – the latter courtesy of Emmett, of course. Some questions made Edward tense up, but mostly he was just curious to hear how what her answers would be. He relished in the fact that he was learning more and more about her every time she opened her mouth to talk.

It was a pleasant night of bonding.

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Angela Webber had been one of the many students to witness Edward Cullen mate with the newest member of the Forks population, Isabella Swan – or Bella, as she had corrected anyone to call her by her first name.

Jessica and Lauren, two people whom Angela spent a lot of time around, since the three had known each other since they were born, were major gossips. So, of course, the news of their mating had already been spread all over. Not one to take part in their silly games, Angela kept out of it. From what she had seen of Bella, she seemed like a very sweet girl, if not a little too shy. She had smiled when she saw how the tiny girl had practically melted into Edward's side.

Even though she wasn't a natural gossiper, it didn't stop her from being shocked about their unique situation. She wondered how it would work out; wouldn't Edward eventually end up hurting her, even if it was an accident. Surely, being much stronger than the little lamb, he would end up holding her too tightly. Angela, whom had never spoken to the girl before, found herself worrying about her well being. She knew, of course, that Edward would never purposely hurt his mate; it was practically impossible for someone to even _think_ about injuring their other half.

Sighing, Angela resided herself to just watching out for the girl, from a distance. It was the most she could do for the girl she would probably never get to know. The Cullens weren't known for their great socialization skills... and Bella would probably never be separated from Edward's side.

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Even though his daughter had only been in town for a week, Charlie Swan found himself getting lonely without her. He had gotten used to her cooking the meals, and helping out around the house. He had gotten used to their small and quiet conversations, which were quite often meaningless.

In short, he had gotten used to having the company. And now, with his little girl running around with some boy, he knew he wouldn't see her very often. It would be like she had never came to Forks in the first place.

That first day after meeting Bella's mate, he had spent the day looking up the Cullens in all of the files he could get his hands on. He wasn't sure whether to be pleased or disappointed that they didn't have any marks against them.

On one hand, it meant that Bella was in good, capable hands.

On the other, it meant she would probably forget about him, in time; as much as she could forget about her father, anyway.

"Oh, Bells." He said, wistfully as he held up a picture of her from when she was seven. Renee had sent it to him, thinking that he would want to be as much a part of his daughter's life as he could. And she was right. He had enjoyed getting the little videos and pictures every month – for she would send him a little package of updates on his daughter monthly. He had been very excited when she had decided to come live in Forks with him. He remembered the phone call easily.

"_Daddy?" She asked in her innocent, childlike voice._

"_Yes, Bells?" He hadn't been expecting her to call him – usually she called him on the weekends, but today was Thursday._

"_Um, I was wondering if I could come live... with you... in Forks?" She asked hesitantly. Charlie had always secretly wondered if something had happened to her to make her seem so afraid of angering everybody, but also knew that such was the personality of a lamb. Besides, Renee and Phil had hardly ever let Bella out of their sight, knowing how weak and fragile she is._

_Excited now, he answered happily "Sure." And that was that. Nothing more needed to be said; Isabella Swan would be moving from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington, just like that._

It had taken her a month to get everything settled down and packed, before she called telling him when he could pick her up from the airport and such. Renee had shipped up Bella's vehicle, not wanting her to ever have to accept a ride from anybody – who knows what kind of people they could turn out to be?

Setting the picture down, Charlie whistled to himself, heading into his living room and turning the TV on – there had to be something of interest to watch.

He didn't want to be alone with the thoughts of his little girl, who was now all grown up, any longer.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

_**AN/ So, mainly the parts that focus on Charlie are just showing you what he feels know that his daughter had basically moved out of the house, and she's only sixteen, with the fact that he only just got her back.**_

_**I think next chapter I'll add a part with Renee, and another with Phil, describing their thoughts. Wouldn't want anybody to be left out, now would we? And, of course, the two gossip queens – Jessica and Lauren – will be added in, as well as Mike, Tyler, Eric, and the wolves... and, probably, various others.**_

_**Enjoy, and review!**_

_**Sorry for lack of updates lately, but I'm writing now, aren't I?**_


	8. Epoch

**Chapter 8: Epoch**

**e****·****poch** [EP-uhk] - a memorable date.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

Jessica Stanley was fuming.

Ever since the Cullens had moved to the tiny town of Forks from the great unknown (actually, it is known, and it's called Alaska. But, shh, let Jessica have her moment), she had it in her mind that even though she and Edward may seem like opposites; they were meant for each other. By that point, she knew that she would have to make _him_ see that they belonged together, completely.

Then that little, man-stealing girl had come to Forks and gone and mated with him; she had mated with _Edward Cullen_, who Jessica rightly thought she deserved.

_I'll show her to steal my man away from me; Edward, you'll know who your true mate is very soon, don't worry, baby._

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After school, the day the mysterious mating between Cullen and Swan – lion and lamb – had taken place, you could find Mike Newton pondering over his newest fantasy girl, who was none other than the lamb herself.

He, like every other student at Forks High, had witnessed the bizarre mating, and he – like every single guy at Forks High – could easily admit how attracted he was to Isabella – Bella – Swan. She was gorgeous: long, curly hair; soft, rosy cheeks; tight, voluptuous curves in all of the right places. Plus, she had the added bonus of being small and light on her feet, like a dancer.

_How I wished she'd dance for me; maybe give me a little private show._

But, unlike our Jessica Stanley, he had clearly noticed the protective stance Cullen had over her the entire day; plus, he also had the dignity to never even attempt to mess with a mated couple.

In all, though he wouldn't mind seeing how little Bella was in bed, he was genuinely happy for the couple, if not a little jealous. He couldn't wait to find his true soul mate, to meet the one he was destined to be with for all of eternity...

With a smile, Mike Newton finished stocking the shelves with the newest hiking boots in the family store. Maybe he could take a drive to Seattle, or even Port Angeles might do, and try to find 'the one'.

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"Well, I don't really have many memories that stick out about my childhood, but I would have to say that the day Renee brought Phil home would be my favourite." Bella explained, gaining enthusiasm.

The questions had continued throughout the day, and Edward was relieved that she had completely relaxed herself to the point where she seemed as though she had known his parents and siblings forever. She wasn't quite as relaxed as when it was only her and Edward, but he supposed that was part of the benefits of the mating bond they shared. Another benefit he found himself loving.

"Renee has always been a happy-go-lucky type of person; I get some of that from her, but not much. She is a very easy person to distract, which comes in handy when you want to keep something a surprise. Anyways, she went to go get some groceries one day – so she could make another perfectly awful attempt at cooking – and when she came back, she seemed... different. Of course, I didn't get to say anything before she told me she wanted me to meet someone. She dragged him in, then; and I knew right away that he was her mate. The way their eyes shined when they looked at each other... well, I suppose I could compare it to the stuff I read in fairytales. To me, that was what mating was like when I was younger – like your very own fairytale come true." She smiled, blushing a little bit. "The point is, after that, Renee and Phil were barely ever separated. I hardly ever see one without the other. Phil immediately moved into our house, as it was bigger than his apartment, and he's always treated me like his own. He completely understood why my mother would have me, but they're both looking forward to having their own child come next birthing season." She finished, leaning into Edward's embrace a little more; she had leant forward a bit while explaining it.

"You sound like such an adorable and charming little girl, Bella." Esme stated; there was no room for disagreement in her voice, so Bella didn't dare. Though, she did comment on her statement.

"Actually, I did get a lot of compliments when I was younger, much to my embarrassment. I've never much liked attention; but, there were moments when I must have seemed like such a normal kid." She blushed, something the Cullens had realized was a natural part of Bella, before continuing. "When Renee told me the sort of stuff I got up to when I was younger, I didn't believe it; until she showed me the pictures and videos that were proof of my misdemeanours." She giggled a bit, warming everyone's heart. She was so innocent and childlike, yet mature somehow. "When I was around... five or six, I'd take a guess, I simply adored going to the park. Once there, I would head straight for the monkey bars. I actually used to fantasize about inventing this special pill that would turn me from a lamb into a monkey, so I would have an excuse for staying on the monkey bars all day. Of course, I've changed my mind about that. I would constantly be going to the hospital for broken bones and sprains, even a concussion or two, all because I simply refused to avoid the monkey bars at all costs." She bit her lip, laughing again. "Renee finally put her foot down when I broke one of my legs; she was tired of seeing me hurt because of... 'a toy at the park', I believe were her exact words. By then, Phil had joined us, and was just as worried – if not more – than Renee at how much I injured myself on those things. As I grew up, and – in turn – lost even more of my low equilibrium, I decided it was best to stay away from all of the demonic playground equipment. Monkey bars are now one of my worst enemies, and I have many of those, trust me. Top of the list is stairs." She concluded.

Emmett laughed, though not too much; Edward had been slightly tense throughout her little story, though he had calmed down some when she said that she avoided anything that would hurt her now. He never wanted to see her hurt.

Esme and Carlisle were enjoying this; even when they were younger, their children had always been sort of goody-two shows; even Emmett had never ventured far, only playing pranks on his siblings. They were interested in hearing about their newest child's childhood, of course, but were also slightly fascinated; imagine what it would have been like to actually have such a sweet little girl as a daughter! But, they were ecstatic that they had been able to raise Emmett, Alice, and Edward, and they wouldn't change that for anything.

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"Ren, I'm sure she's fine; Bella's a smart girl. She can take care of herself, plus she now had that boy to take care of her. You know a mate would never stand to see the other hurt." Phil Dwyer reasoned with his mate, who was fussing over the well-being of their – well, her – daughter.

He would easily admit, that when his mate had told him he had a 'surprise' to show him, he hadn't exactly been expecting to find out that she already had had a child by a different man, but after listening to her reasoning, and talking a bit to Charlie over the phone, he had understood; if he had been waiting to find his soul mate for as long as Charlie and Renee had been, he probably would have grabbed the opportunity up as soon as he could, as well. Plus, it was hard to not love Bella; she was too adorable and loving.

He had never wanted to replace her father, so he had always treated her with a king of brotherly-fatherly love; he was always there for her, but he would gladly step back so that her true father could take care of her as much as he could, living so far away. He had done this many times.

Now, he found himself incredibly happy that his 'little girl' had found her soul mate. Of course, he, too, had hoped it would take her a few more years, but at least she had already stopped aging. Though, it was quite unusual to stop at such a young age, but Bella _had_ always appeared to be like child stuck in a teenager's body.

"I know she can take care of herself, Phil, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't need her mother now that she'd discovered what it feels like to have a mate; oh, God, it's almost like she has hit puberty all over again." Renee paced back in forth in the kitchen, while Phil was leaning against the counter, watching her. Finally having enough, he reached out to her a seized onto her waist, pulling her towards him. He turned them, trapping her against the counter and breathing in his mate's scent.

"Babe, she'll be fine; she can handle herself. It's time for you to let her grow up and learn how to do things on her own. Besides, she has Charlie if she needs helps, and if she wants to talk to you or me, we're only a phone call away." He said to her, rubbing her arms to help relax her muscles. "She's not exactly your little girl anymore, Renee; she's grown up, now."

He wasn't surprised when tears started to stream down her face. He only held onto her, giving her as much comfort as he could – but, he knew the only way for her to feel happy at that moment, was to see her daughter happy.

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I suppose I forgot to mention this earlier; another little fact about how things work in this world.

Children and their parents share a bond, as well. It's almost like the mating bond, but nowhere near as strong; because, of course, all children has to leave their nest eventually, to go out and see the world, find their mates, start families of their own.

The bond shared between parents and their offspring is mostly just ingrained protective needs. No matter how old the children are, the parents will always feel like they should be doing everything they could to help their child, whether they actually need help or not.

While this bond may seem annoying and overwhelming at times – for both the parent and the child –, it helps to ensure the survival of children; remember, we have crime and disease, war, here as well, just like in the normal world.

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Sometime around eight o'clock, when everybody was still in the living room, Bella fell asleep in the middle of a story that Esme was telling about Emmett as a child. It was amusing, but being that she was a rather delicate persona, she was used to sleeping more often than others. Edward didn't mind; it gave him an excuse to be alone with his mate. He had enjoyed his family bonding with her, and he had learned a lot of things about her he most likely would have never thought to ask about, but he hadn't enjoyed the fact that they had hardly had anytime to be alone all day. He knew that eventually they would have to return to the real world – Bella had yet to graduate from high school, of course – but, for now, he wanted it to be just him and his mate.

Before he carried her tiny body up the stairs so that they could go to sleep, his family informed him that they would be able to stay off school for the remainder of the week – giving them Thursday, Friday, and the weekend – but, then they would have to rejoin the land of the living. The family would be returning to work and school tomorrow, respectively, leaving the couple the house to themselves. Edward smiled at them, thanking them warmly, before disappearing upstairs.

The others remained downstairs, discussing their thoughts on the newest member.

"Well, what did you guys think of her?" Carlisle asked.

"She's adorable!" Alice squealed, excitedly. "I can't wait until we're best friends; I just know we'll get along great!" Jasper chuckled, happy to see his mate in such a good mood – however, Alice was rarely in anything _but_ a good mood.

"I agree; she's such a sweet girl. I'm happy Edward found someone so great to live his life with." Esme spoke, putting her opinion in. Carlisle agreed, and he told them all so by the nod of his head, and the smile he sent towards his wife, agreeing with her description of the girl-child.

"I think she'll be fun to hand around with; that monkey bar thing she was talking about was funny." Emmett snickered, remembering how many times she had blushed throughout the day, and also remembering her many stories about injuries caused by her clumsiness. He had withheld from laughing, despite how much he wanted to, not wanting to anger his brother. He had enjoyed learning about his new sister. She seemed to balance Edward off nicely.

Rosalie smiled at Emmett, like Carlisle had at Esme; she was silently agreeing with his opinion of the girl. It was hard for Rosalie to except change in her life, but Bella seemed to be a beneficial change to their family. She hoped she would have the chance to become close to the girl, as well, and that they would become good friends.

After all of their opinions were shared, the couples split up and headed off their separate ways, finding ways to occupy their time before heading off to bed themselves.

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Edward had tried his hardest to ensure that his mate remained sleeping while he tucked her into bed, and had succeeded until he placed her down. Her eyelids fluttered slightly, and she rubbed her eyes before opening them. He smiled sweetly down at her, before crawling next to her, gathering her in his arms. She twisted into his chest, moulding her body into his, before yawning. She smacked her lips together, sighing in content, before quieting down.

Edward traced his finger tip over her arm, causing her to shiver, before making a slight mewling sound. He chuckled, kissing her forehead, breathing in her scent. It was the quiet, peaceful moments like this that he knew he would always treasure with his mate; he couldn't believe that he had survived for so long without the feel of her in his embrace. She was like his air, or his nourishment; he needed her, or else he would cease to exist.

"Edward?" Her voice broke the silence eventually; she was tired, but she had something she needed to say.

"Yes, love?" He asked her, about ready to fall asleep himself.

"I really like your family." She stated, with a small yawn stretching out the ending, causing him to chuckle again.

He kissed the top of her head, dragging his fingers through her soft curls. "Go to sleep, love."


	9. Immaculate

**Chapter 9: Immaculate**

**im·mac·u·late **[ih-**mak**-y_uh_-lit] - free from moral blemish or impurity; pure.

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The remainder of the week passed both slowly and quickly. At times when they were silent and just enjoying the moment, time seemed to slow down, giving them enough time to fully enjoy the moment, fully enjoy the feelings that coursed through their bodies caused by the sensations of being newly mated. At times when they were talking with their family, in ways to fully get to know each other, it was as if time sped up, never giving them enough time to ask Bella all of the questions that were running through their mind.

Bella had patiently answered each and every question that came her way – from Edward or another member of the family - fully understanding that they would want to know just what type of person had joined their family. If it had been the other way around, she would have felt the same way about getting to know Edward. As it were, it wasn't the other way around, so she answered every question with ease, trying to ignore her own embarrassment as much as she could. It hadn't completely worked – it was impossible for her to ignore the constant flowing blood to her cheeks – but she had tried her best.

By Sunday evening, Edward and the others new almost everything there was to know about Bella – there were, however, a few questions they had avoided in order to not make her feel uncomfortable. Emmett enjoyed listening to stories about Renee's attempts at parenting, while Esme and Rosalie enjoyed hearing about all of the silly things she had done as a kid. Edward enjoyed hearing it all.

The family had also told Bella many things about themselves, so she had very few questions left to ask them. She would have time for that in the future, she knew, so it wasn't a major priority to have them answered. She was thrilled to find herself a part of Edward's family – she loved them just as much as she loved Renee, Phil, and Charlie. Though, looking at how they acted around each other, it was hard not to love them. They were the poster family for familial love.

She was truly and completely happy here, with the Cullens, with Edward.

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Monday came much too quickly, much to Edward's distaste. All he wanted to do was spend forever lying around with his mate in his arms. How much his life had changed in just a week; his world had stopped revolving for a mere second, and when it had started again, all darkness was removed and it no longer revolved around the sun. It revolved around Bella Swan. Even though she was a fragile, tiny, child-like girl, he loved her. He would spend his entire life protecting her, ensuring that nobody – especially himself – would ever hurt her. She was too precious to be harmed; to harm her would be to commit the blackest blasphemy. Nobody should be allowed to hurt an angel.

Especially _his_ angel.

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Bella could feel it shifting. With the reminder of school, and the fact that she would be returning to reality again, Edward became more protective. She had no doubt that he was thinking of all the people that might try to befriend her, and therefore monopolize some of her time. She didn't know how to tell him that he needn't worry, because all she wanted to do was stay by his side for the remainder of eternity; she made up for this silence by gripping onto him tighter, pushing herself closer to him. It seemed to relax him, if only slightly.

The day had already begun a little hard; Alice had decided to wake them up, because she was excited to be able to dress up her new sister. Edward hadn't liked that. It had taken a lot of convincing from Bella for him to let go of her, and even then he was glaring at Alice every chance he got. She wasn't concerned – as long as Alice kept her in one piece, Bella knew that Edward wouldn't attack – but she didn't like making him angry, even if it wasn't exactly her fault; she had gone along with the plan.

Once Alice was done with her makeover, she walked silently and carefully downstairs, where she could feel the pull, telling her where her mate was. Edward could feel it getting bigger, and looked towards her when he felt that she was in the room. He smiled, feeling better now that she was in his sight and he could protect her once again, scooping her up into his arms and burying his face in her hair. She giggled, but still grasped onto his shirt, letting him know that she had missed him, as well.

Esme smiled at the two, bringing them breakfast. She had cooked a full meal for Edward – buttered toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon – while she had filled a small bowl with fruit salad for Bella. The little lamb smiled brightly at her, happy that her new 'mother' understood her eating habits so well. Esme returned it, before bringing cups and grape juice to the two. Edward finished his food in record timing, which made Bella gape at him. He spent the rest of the time watching her eat slowly. She only ate about half of the little bowl, which made him frown, but he decided that he would make sure she ate a bigger lunch.

He pulled her up and led her towards the garage. Her car had been put away with the others, so he decided to take his Volvo. His siblings wouldn't mind taking Rosalie's car – and she would definitely enjoy the chance to show off her baby to the people of Forks. Carlisle hadn't liked standing out, but he had no choice, now. Edward's Volvo could only seat five, and there was the fact that nobody really wanted to be cooped up in a vehicle with a newly mated couple. They would already be tense because of the fact that they couldn't exactly be in each other's arms when one of them needed to focus on driving. Edward certainly wasn't looking forward to that.

"Nice car." Bella said softly. He smiled at her. "What kind is it?" She asked as he opened her door for her, helping her get settled in the passenger seat.

"A Volvo S60R; it's 6-speeds of smooth riding." He answered as he reached over her to buckle her seat belt. He knew she was perfectly capable of doing it, but he wasn't taking any chances with her. He was also confident in his driving skills, but, just in case...

"Nice. I like my car – I mean, it _is_ a classic – but this has to be one of the nicer, newer ones." She looked around, gently swiping her hand across the leather interior. He enjoyed seeing how careful she was; and not just with his car, with everything. It seemed as though she thought everything was as fragile as a soap bubble, but, really, she was probably the most fragile thing in the area. It looked for the entire world like if you breathed on her too hard, she would shatter; like silk over glass.

"Yes, I noticed your car. Where did you get it? I haven't seen a '72 Camaro in such good condition since, well, since '72." He joked with her, but she could tell that he was serious with the questions.

"Um, Phil, my stepfather, it was his first car. He kept it in good condition, and when I came here, he sent it up for me, as a surprise." She smiled nostalgically. "He'll make a good father, when he and Renee are able to have children of their own. He's done a pretty good job with me, I suppose."

"I think he did an amazing job. Anybody who had any part in making you who you are today is on my good list. You're perfect." He kissed her cheek, smiling when she blushed, then closed her door, careful to make sure that no part of her would get hit by it. He practically ran around the front of the car, getting in his door as quickly as possible and picking up her tiny left hand in his large right one. He sighed automatically in relief; even those few seconds without her touch had made him feel like he was burning in pain. Her presence meant everything to him; _she _meant everything to him.

And he would spend the rest of their lives showing her just how much he loved her.

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The car ride to school was spent with quick glances at each other, but a comfortable silence. Edward had to let go of Bella's hand to keep it on the gear shift, but she seemed to sense his discomfort – or maybe she was feeling it, herself – and reached over to lay her hand on his arm, instantly soothing him. Something as simple as her touch made him feel whole.

The night before, as he had watched an angel sleep, in the moments before he fell asleep himself, Edward was thinking. He was thinking that if he felt so much pleasure from merely holding Bella's hand, how would it feel to _kiss her?_ He was going slowly with her, not sure how she would feel if her entire world changed anymore than it already had. First, moving from the town she had grown up with to live with a father she barely knew. Then, after just getting settled in with said father, finding her soul mate and moving in with _him_ and his family. It must be quite a shocking thing for somebody to go through all within the length of two weeks.

He could see that she was comfortable with his family. She had begun to laugh at Emmett's jokes, speak freely with Jasper, put up with Alice's insanity, and had even relaxed around Rosalie. Esme and Carlisle treated her as another child, though – her being a lamb – you could see the hesitancy in their actions. They had never had to deal with someone as delicate a lamb before. Foxes, bears, and lions were definitely no easily-harmed animals, but a lamb could be harmed easily. When Esme patted Bella's shoulder, you could see that she was holding herself back so that her touch would be as gentle and loving as she could possibly make it. However, since none of his family has brought it up, he assumed that they didn't want Bella to realize just yet that they were treating her slightly differently than the others. Edward's siblings seemed to understand why they needed to be careful; Edward was grateful to realize that his family would never let her be harmed.

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The kids of Forks High had had a week to get over the miraculous mating situation. But, of course – true to Forks fashion – they were still gossiping about it as if it had just happened an hour before. When Edward pulled into the parking lot, everybody automatically stopped talking. Stepping out, he was met with silence, and it was still silent as he moved around the vehicle and helped Bella carefully step out onto the pavement, remembering how she had almost fallen that first time he had saw her. She smiled up at him brightly, silently thanking him for helping her, and he tried to portray to her with his eyes that he would always be there to help her. By the way her smile widened, he knew she understood.

Angela Webber was one of the only kids truly happy for them. She stood beside her mate, Ben Cheney – lightly holding his hand – and watched as the strange but perfect couple made their way to their first classes. She could tell just from the look on Edward's face that he was infatuated with her, as most were with their mates. Though their coupling was odd – and had not previously been heard of – Angela did not question it. It was easy to see that the two belonged to each other, completely and rightly.

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Lauren Mallory did not agree with Angela's opinion of the couple. Jealous, she spent the past week and week-end thinking of reasons why Edward would possibly pretend to be _Bella Swan's _mate. It didn't make any sense. What did _she_ have that Lauren didn't? Since they weren't the same 'tier in geist', they obviously couldn't be real mates, so they had to be pretending. Of course, Bella probably believed him, so he must be the one acting as if he had feelings for her.

_Maybe he's trying to make me jealous, so that I'll stand up for myself and ask him out._ She mused, smiling. _Yes, that has to be it._

So, she resolved that on Wednesday – she would give him time to worry that maybe his plan wasn't working, and he would be stuck with _Bella_ after all. He would be so relieved when she finally 'gave in' and told him that he didn't need to pretend anymore, that she knew he was in love with her.

_The perfect plan, _Lauren smirked, watching as the 'couple' made their way into English class. _Don't worry, Edward. We'll be together soon._

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**So, Angela is sweet and Lauren is insane. But, we already knew that, didn't we?**

**I apologize for the length of time between updates, but at least I'm updating now, right? I'm officially on summer break, now, but I also have work and volunteering to do this summer, so we'll see how that turns out. I hope this satisfies you for now, and I'll leave you with this:**

**"I wasn't at all focused on school, and I didn't achieve much. But I've got a sense of urgency now. I feel I can't let any more time waste away." –Robert Pattinson**

**Review, please!**


	10. Unconditional

**Chapter 10: Unconditional**

**un·con·di·tion·al **[uhn-k_uh_n-**dish**-_uh_-nl] – not limited by conditions; absolute.

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"How does it feel to be back in the land of reality, brother?" Jasper asked as Edward and Bella joined them for lunch.

The morning had passed quickly, yet slowly at the same time. Whenever he glanced at Bella, Edward found time to be slowing down; but, as the teachers _did_ demand the students' complete attention, he had to pay as much attention as he could to the lesson – which irritated him, fore he had already been through high school many times before, and knew it all, already. For Bella, however – who was only going through high school at the first time – time was slow all the time, except in English class, where she was happiest during school hours. She never let go of her grip on Edward's hand, but she paid rapt attention to all she could learn about Shakespeare and Bronte and Faulkner.

The following classes before lunch were another story. She was not as interested in those – and she hated math with a passion only surpassed by her feelings for Edward – so time seemed to be lagging. She tried to get through it as well as she could by pulling Edward's hand into her lap and using both of her hands to play with his fingers, much like a small child would do. He smiled at her indulgingly, letting her continue her innocent nature. The teacher noticed, but didn't do anything but smile. It was hard for anybody not to be kind to Bella; everybody could see her fragile demeanour.

"Well, it's certainly not as boring as it used to be," Edward answered easily. He glanced over towards Bella, watching her carefully arrange her food so that none of it was touching. He smiled, before returning his gaze to his brother. "Though, I still have to say that it gets rather irritating, hearing the same thing over and over and over..." he trailed off. His siblings smiled knowingly.

"I know what you mean, Eddie," Emmett boomed, ignoring the glare Edward sent him for the despised nickname. "The teacher's just don't understand that we don't want to hear something we've already heard a million times before. Plus, they don't like thinking that some of their students might be smarter than them." He laughed.

"Emmett, you can't possibly think that _you_ could be smarter than anyone? You must have been talking about us." Alice smirked; she loved annoying her brothers.

"Well, _Pixie,_" Alice's smile turned into a grimace, "At least I'm tall." He boasted, straightening up to prove that he was, indeed, much taller than his sister.

Rosalie interrupted whatever Alice was about to say. "You know, Emmett, we can't exactly make fun of Alice's size anymore; not when she is no longer the smallest in the family." She motioned with her fork towards Bella, who was again playing with Edward's fingers, having finished the fruits and vegetables she had grabbed from the salad bar. "You'll have to find some other reason to pick on her, now."

Emmett sulked, realizing that his mate was correct; _everybody_ was tall compared to Bella. He had been teasing Alice about her height for years now; it would be difficult for him to come up with more original jokes; and, though you could say that he could just switch his teasing from Alice to Bella, the idea just didn't sit right with him. Looking at his brother's tiny and incredibly breakable mate, he found that he didn't really want to tease her as he did Alice; she just seemed like she might snap at any moment.

Besides, he didn't think that Edward would let him get away with that.

With his thinking over, Emmett looked regretfully over towards his small sister, and sighed. "I'm sorry, Alice; looks like I won't be teasing you anymore."

Everybody – including Bella, though hers was a mere whisper of a sound – laughed when Alice immediately grinned and squealed.

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The afternoon passed slightly faster than the morning, and Edward had never been happier to slip into the driver's seat of his Volvo before in his life. Bella laughed at his relieved sigh, but stopped when he playfully glared at her. She tried to glare back, but all that resulted in was Edward laughing at her attempt. She pouted while he tried to calm down his laughs until only the occasional chuckle escaped. He turned on the engine, growing uncomfortable with the distance between him and his mate, and wanting to get home as soon as possible so he could hold her that much sooner.

Noticing the tension rising in her mate, Bella quickly tugged up the sleeve on his shirt and rested her hand lightly on his forearm. Instant relief surged through him, causing him to smile genuinely and stare lovingly at his mate, before returning his gaze to the dull road before him. Her touch made him feel as if every nerve ending in his body was lit on fire, though the relief pulsing through him gave him a rather cool sensation. It was confusing, yet amazingly pleasant, at the same time.

The drive home was spent in a comfortable silence, Bella switching from keeping her hand on his forearm to drawing careful shapes across his skin; each slight movement of her fingers caused desire to swarm through Edward's mind, until his hormones were practically yelling at him to make his mate his in every way. However, Edward fought against it quite easily, knowing that he would need to build up some more self control until he could even comprehend taking his fragile mate in the rather rough way he imagined.

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Jacob Black had heard about the strange story of the Lion and the Lamb first hand from Bella's father, Charlie, who talked to Billy about it. The two had been in an argument before hand, but Charlie's need to express his thoughts and feelings with his best friend won out over the irritation and anger. It started with a slightly panicked phone call, and ended with Billy, him, and Jacob feasting on pizza in front of the television, which was – of course – turned onto the sports channel.

"I'm happy for her, Billy, really I am. It's just, he's is so _different_ than her, I can't help but worry. What if he hurts her on accident? What if he goes farther than she wants him too and she can't do anything to stop it? She's so innocent, Billy; and _young_. He's been around for how many years? How long has he been waiting for a mate? If he's been waiting as long as I have, there is no doubt in my mind that he just wants to take what is finally his, and I know Bells wouldn't want it to happen that way." Charlie mumbled out in his typical fashion, not moving his glance from the television, though his hands were gesturing wildly, displaying his confusion and worry.

Jacob wisely chose to stay quiet during the conversation, leaving the adults to figure it out.

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Charlie. I know when I first met Sarah, I could never even _think_ about hurting her. I still can't. It's still difficult to be away from her, but we both have our own lives. If they are true mates, which – by the way you're describing the looks in their eyes – they are, then he would do anything to keep Bella safe, even if it means harming his own family. And, I've met lions before, Charlie; lions are _very _protective of their families, but even more so of their mates." He leaned over and patted his friend's shoulder. "She'll be fine, Charlie." He repeated.

Charlie nodded, signalling that he didn't want to continue the conversation any longer. He reached forward and grabbed another slice of pizza off the coffee table, finishing it in record time.

Jacob Black tried to forget the conversation, but lucky for him, wolves have great memories.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

Phil Dwyer had never seen his mate so worked up. Renee couldn't decide between letting her daughter handle everything on her known, or packing and rushing directly to Forks to help explain to her all of the strange, new feelings she was no doubt experiencing as a newly-mated person.

Phil sighed, allowing his mate to continue thinking on it. He would stop her if she tried to run after he daughter. Bella was old enough now to be able to handle things on her own.

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All day at school, Jessica Stanley had watched in exasperation as 'her' Edward paraded around pretending that _Bella Swan_ was his mate. The thought was almost laughable. There was no way that tiny, insignificant little girl could _possibly_ be Edward the Lion's mate. It was just preposterous.

She hadn't exactly decided on a plan of action yet, but she knew it would involve something illegal. Bella Swan could not continue living for much longer if she thought that Edward Cullen was her mate.

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Lauren Mallory was much the same as he friend, Jessica. She couldn't believe that the new girl had the audacity to steal someone who rightfully belonged to _her_. Though, she could see in Jessica's eyes that she was deluded, as well – thinking that Edward would belong to anyone but Lauren was silly, and damaging to their health.

In the world of Lauren Mallory, everything went her way. She wanted Edward, and she _always_ got what she wanted.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

The time at home was spent just talking. They had answered many questions already, and now Bella was going back and explaining more about her childhood for Carlisle and Esme's benefit; though, Edward also took pleasure from the exercise, as well.

"Monkeys weren't always my favourite animal; when I was younger, I wanted to be a giraffe, because I was always smaller than everybody else. I saw a program about giraffes on the TV one day, and I thought to myself _I wonder what it would feel like to be so tall. _Giraffes were pretty, tall, and smart; it seemed like the perfect package to me at the time. Nobody would be able to tease me for my height any longer; I would finally fit in, maybe make some friends. Back in Phoenix, there were around seven giraffes I could have hung out with; there wasn't a single lamb. Apparently, lambs are hard to find; it takes quite a delicate person to be a lamb." Bella frowned, before speaking again. "I never really felt like I fit in, back in Phoenix; it's hard to fit in when you're just so _different_ from everybody else. All the other kids liked wrestling, and sports, and arguments; I don't like any of those things. They were so _rough_; it was hard for me to imagine what it would be like for me to be around them. So, I never tried. My mother turned into my best friend as I was growing up, no longer having the attributes of a mother. Having her, and Phil, I didn't need anybody else." She finished, turning to Edward to whisper in his ear, "Until now."

He smiled at her, glad that she was being so verbose. He loved that she was putting in an effort to get along with his family, especially since she had just explained how hard it was for her to fit in.

She suddenly laughed, having thought of something else. "My mother used to joke that I had Anthropophobia, because I never wanted to leave the house, to afraid of what might happen that day. The truth is I was just afraid that someone would be to rough around me, and I would end up getting hurt. Many people had the habit of starting fights in the school hallways, and running into people when they weren't watching. I began walking the long way to all my classes, which sometimes caused me to be late. I was afraid of being _harmed_ by people, but I've never been afraid _of_ people." While she had begun talking while laughing, she ended her little information spiel with a resigned sigh.

"I think I rather like the idea of you being afraid of being harmed; though, you don't need to be afraid any longer. Nobody will ever hurt you as long as I am alive, and I plan to live for a very long time." Edward said into her ear, his breath tickling her neck. He enjoyed the reaction he got, watching amazed as she shivered at his proximity. Of course, he also enjoyed taking care of her, and though he knew that her shiver was just a reaction to his presence, he reached behind him and wrapped her up in a warm blanket, feeling he cuddle into it and watching her smile and blush. She was adorable.

Esme and Carlisle smiled at each other, watching the newest Cullen couple behave around each other, and stood up. "We'll leave you two alone, now; I better start working on dinner or else Emmett will be pretty upset with me." Esme said, rolling her eyes when speaking of her son. Edward nodded noncommittally in his parents' direction, not taking his eyes off of the perfection he held in his embrace. Bella blushed, but kept her eyes on his, as well.

Chocolate and emerald.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

_**There you have it, another chapter up. Hope you enjoy it! **_

_**On the Monday before Eclipse came out, I was browsing through television channels and eventually stopped to watch Ellen. She was interviewing Robert Pattinson, and asked him if he had ever danced before in his life. I learned something that day: Robert had been a ballet dancer until he was ten years old, the very year that he realized that he was, in fact, a boy.**_

_**Interesting, isn't it?**_

_**I watched Eclipse yesterday and I LOVED it. I find that it is the best movie they've made so far. With the way things are going – each movie being better than the last – I have high hopes for Breaking Dawn!**_

_**Review, please!**_


	11. Evermore

_**Before you start reading, I would like to point out that reading FanFictions is easier if you change the page to ½. You can do that near the top, above where you change chapters.**_

**Chapter 11: Evermore**

ev·er·more [ev-er-**mohr**] - always; continually; forever.

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For the first time since she had found her mate in the soul of Edward Cullen, Bella Swan dreamt that night.

She dreamt of purple flowers, blue skies, sunshine, wide-open spaces. She dreamt of Phil and Renee, she dreamt of her bedroom back in Phoenix. She dreamt of the fresh air in the forest, and how the pavement looks after it had rained. She dreamt of being a little girl and getting sick from jumping in puddles.

She dreamt of happiness, and she dreamt of Edward.

He woke in the middle of the night to her whispering his name. At first he thought she had woken, as well, and needed something, and was prepared to do everything in his power to get that something for her. But upon looking down at her face, saw that her breathing was as even as it had ever been, and her eyes were shut tight. He smiled, realizing that his perfect mate had just gotten impossibly better; she talked in her sleep. He would make it a point now to watch her at night, listening for everything she would say. Maybe he would become an insomniac.

But, like everybody, Edward needed his sleep, and so his thoughts of listening to her in her unguarded state were torn away from him as he slipped deeper and deeper into unconsciousness, gripping her to him relentlessly.

Not that she minded.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

She woke up before Edward this time, turning around to face him. She had expected to be greeted with his beautiful green eyes looking back at her, but was instead greeted with his smooth features resting in the ease of sleep. Upon glancing over at the alarm clock, she realized that they still had over an hour to sleep, but she didn't feel tired anymore. She breathed in his scent, deciding to just watch him. He had never seen him more at peace than when he was holding her in his sleep. The muscles in his arms would twitch ever so often, tightening his hold on her. When she thought his tight grip would crush her, they loosened, beginning the process over again. How cute.

The hour passed all too quickly, and soon his eye lashes were fluttering at the sound of the ringing alarm, alerting him that it was now time to prepare for school. He smiled when he heard it shut off, knowing his mate must already be up, and opened his eyes fully to take her in. She was smiling at him gently, and running her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. Though he usually would have been embarrassed at the fact that he began to purr like the lion he was, he wasn't at all embarrassed while in the presence of his mate. Hearing him make a sound telling her that he was so content warmed her heart, and she smiled brightly when he leaned his head into his fingers.

After five minutes, she pulled her hand away, causing him to growl lowly, and open his eyes – having just realized that he had closed them. She giggled slightly, causing her body to shake against him, and spoke carefully. "We need to go to school today, Edward. We should get up now and get ready."

For that one moment, he almost hated his mate for being right. All he wanted to do was lay there all day, and hold her in his arms. He didn't want to have to deal with all the single males at school looking at _his_ mate, and he didn't want to have to share her with anybody.

But, he also knew that if he wanted her to pass high school so that they no longer needed to go there, he would have to bring her to school: unfortunately. Being in public meant that they couldn't be as close as they wanted to be, for there were certain rules about PDA: you couldn't do whatever you wanted with your mate at any given time. You needed to be in a private place, away from prying and innocent eyes.

Though, no one's eyes could have been more innocent than Bella's.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

Again, the morning passed quickly, and when Edward and Bella joined their family in the cafeteria, they sat down to hear a conversation about Jasper and Emmett wrestling after school. Rosalie and Alice were talking about some sale at the Mall of America, and when they could make plans to visit there – the sale would presumably last around a month.

Bella, though she wouldn't say anything, found both conversations uncomfortable to listen to. On one hand, being that she was afraid of being harmed, she didn't like anyone talking about violence in her presence. On the other hand, she detested shopping.

Renee had put her through too many shopping sprees as a young child, which had only fuelled her distaste for presents and spending money. It seemed that her new sisters had different ideas about what was fun and what was not fun.

Shopping was definitely under the list of things not fun; at least, it was for Bella.

Edward distracted her when he felt her tension, asking her about her stepfather and her relationship with him. He had almost learned everything he wanted to know about Bella, but he knew he would spend the rest of his life with her thinking of more things to ask her. There was so much about her life that he regretted missing out on, and wished that he had met her when she was younger. Then, he would have had the privilege of watching her grow up: he would be her babysitter, brother, best friend, and eventually lover. It was quite possible for a full-grown person to mate with a newborn child. It would cause them to have to wait until their mate was ready to accept them as their true loves, but still: it would give them the pleasure of learning everything there was to know about their mate, because they would be with them every step of the way.

Full-grown Bella was great to have, as well, though. More than great; Edward loved her, and he always would.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

Lunch passed, and the two moved onto Biology. Mr. Banner wheeled in an old TV, mentioning to the class that they would be having a movie day. The movie ended up being a documentary on red blood cells – something Edward knew all about – so he took the time to watch his mate's reactions as he did in English class.

While watching her, he caught a glimpse of a spiteful glare that Lauren Mallory was sending to Bella. She was switching between sending lustful glances his way, and burning glares that surely would have killed his mate if such a thing were possible. When she looked over at him next, he showed his teeth to her and glared, warning her not to mess with him or his mate. Lauren flinched, seeming confused for a moment, but than a look of knowing spread over her face.

Bella hadn't noticed.

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Lauren Mallory could clearly remember the look Edward had given her when he caught her being rude to his mate. His teeth were rather sharp looking, and his bright green eyes had quickly darkened in anger. If she hadn't known any better, she would have thought he was either a cannibal, or a vampire.

It was this look that made something in Lauren click. She wanted someone to mate with, to protect her with the same intensity that Edward protected Bella with. It was easy to see that the two belonged to each other now, with just the way he had glared at her.

Lauren wanted to find her soul mate, for she had now realized that Edward Cullen belonged to Bella Swan, just as much as Bella Swan belonged to Edward Cullen.

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Jessica Stanley was more careful, sending flirtation vibes Edward's way whenever the 'couple' passed. She was sure that with a couple more days of this, Edward would realize that she had feelings for him, and would dump his 'mate' for someone better than her.

For now, she would just have to wait.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

Angela Webber and Ben Cheney walked slowly out to their car at the end of the day. Their conversation had trickled into silence, having spent all day together and not having anything else they needed to talk about.

Angela stopped walking, suddenly, causing Ben to be tugged back as they were holding hands. He turned towards his mate, and then followed her gaze. She was staring at the newest couple with a look that could rival a mother's gaze when one of her children found their mates. He found how much she cared for Edward and Bella endearing, and wrapped his arms around her waist, gazing at the couple as well.

"They just look so _right_ together, you know?" She spoke softly, watching as Edward gently helped his little lamb into his car, buckling her in. Bella lifted her hand to his cheek, smiling her thanks as he leaned forward and place a soft kiss to her forehead, causing her to blush a beautiful shade of pink.

"Indeed, they do. They belong together, just as much as we belong together." He whispered back, smiling as the couple looked at each other with awe and wonder.

"I know." She said again. After a few more moments of watching, Edward shut the door and made his way into the car, causing movement in Angela again. She grabbed Ben's hand, leading him towards their car, smiling softly as she watched the silver Volvo drive away. "Maybe even more than we belong together."

And, though Ben loved her with everything in his being, he couldn't help but agree with her.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

Edward had been aware of someone watching them from a distance in the parking lot, but as his instincts weren't going haywire, he was assured that the watchers didn't have any harmful intent. They were most likely still just curious about the strange couple; the stares were starting to die down, but it was still a weird sight to have to put up with; the perfect couple being complete opposites.

He had ignored the stares as much as he could, barely taking notice of anything except his Bella. She was his entire world, and nothing could possibly distract him from her. She had returned the attention, her thoughts constantly returning to him, causing her to look at him in wonder. The both thought that they didn't deserve the other; but this feeling of being undeserving only made them more perfect for each other.

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_-Dad_

_I promise to visit you soon; sometimes, even though we are in the same town it's as if nobody else exists. Sorry for not contacting you sooner._

_I love you._

_Bella_

Charlie Swan read over the text message he had received from his daughter earlier that day again. It was the first contact he had had from her in almost a week, since the first text message she had sent. He understood, having witnessed many times before how a mated pair could quickly forget about the rest of the world. At least she had gotten back to him eventually; some never return to their parents.

He had kept the house as clean as Bella had kept it for the week she had been there; though, it wasn't hard with all of the extra shifts he had been taking at the station. He felt the same as Bella; though they were still in the same town, less than 15 minutes apart, it's as if Bella had never returned to Forks.

_-Bella_

_I'm looking forward to your visit. I forgive you for not calling sooner._

_...I love you, too._

_Dad_

Hopefully, Bella would understand just how much he loved her, would always love her.

The love of a parent never dies, much like the never-ending love of a mate.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

Before Edward had found his match in Bella, Rosalie had been the most-looked at person in all of Forks High. The females would look at her in jealousy, and the single males would look at her with lust. Emmett had stopped as many glances as he could, letting everybody know just who her mate was – Emmett was quite the intimidating character, when he wanted to be – but he knew she enjoyed the attention, so reluctantly let the boys continue staring. It wasn't like she was going to leave him, anyway. He had faith in her that she would always stay with him.

And she never would; Emmett was the thing she cared about most, though her beauty and attention were a close second and third. There were not many things Rosalie wanted that she didn't have, except a child; the next birthing season was far off, and so she would have to wait.

Though, her brother's childlike mate seemed like a pretty good substitute for a child. Bella needed just as much taking care of as a little girl; she wondered if Edward would let her get close enough to protect her, as well...

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

_**I caught some inspiration bug, I guess. The chapters have just been rolling out, lately. It took me around twenty minutes, tops, to finish this one.**_

_**So, Lauren has finally realized that she wants to find her true mate. Wish Jessica felt the same; and aren't Angela and Ben sweet? I think they make a perfect couple. Actually, now that I think about it, I just got an idea for a OneShot about them. Hmm...**_

_**Another quote: **_

"_**I don't want to be Angelina Jolie. Not that Angelina Jolie is not the most talented, beautiful, successful, amazing, admirable person who does good things for the world, but I don't want to be a movie star like that. I don't think there's anything about being a celebrity that is desirable. I understand that everybody's going to know who you are and what you look like, but why be so obsessive?" –Kristen Stewart**_

_**Review, please!**__****_


	12. Love

**Chapter 12: Love**

love [luhv] - a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

The Lion and the Lamb had their first experience of separation on Wednesday morning.

Alice woke up, and immediately ran up the stairs to her brother's and her new sister's bedroom, knocking excessively until a grumpy Edward opened the door, growling slightly at the interruption of their sleep. Bella was behind him in the room, yawning adorably, and scrunching up her face with exhaustion; it seemed that these two may have stayed up a little later than necessary.

"Sorry, Edward, but I'm stealing your mate for awhile; I want to dress her for school today!" She said quickly, and since Edward was still slow from sleep, managed to jump in the room, grab Bella and drag her out almost before it registered. Edward growled for real this time, trying to get back his mate, but by then Alice already had her locked up in her room.

Edward had never been truly angry at any of his siblings, and especially not Alice – she was his favourite sibling, the one he got along with most, the one he found the most in common with. But at this moment, he was ready to rip her apart; he didn't appreciate having his mate stolen from him like that. If he had known what she had in mind, he would have protected Bella better.

Now, he was about ready to knock down her door to ensure that his little lamb was safe; he was already beginning to get anxious with not being able to see her. There hadn't been a moment when she'd been out of his sight since he had first caught a glimpse of her; even when they went to the bathroom, he had just turned around and promised not to look at her, not willing to leave the room. She hadn't minded.

"Mom will be really upset if you break my door, Edward!" Alice shouted. "Bella will be back in your arms within half an hour, tops! Why don't you go get dressed, and prepare her breakfast for her while you're waiting?" Edward hissed at her voice, but realized she was right; their mother would be very angry with him if he damaged her house. But he didn't understand how Alice could think that half an hour without Bella wouldn't be that bad; it had only been three minutes, so far, and he was already aching.

Bella was feeling the same ache, and started to sniffle slightly. She didn't want to seem weak in front of Alice, but it was as if there was a vice clenching around her heart, getting tighter and tighter the longer she was away from Edward. Alice didn't seem to notice, until Bella let out a slight whimper.

Edward had walked to his room and got dressed as fast as he could, though the vice was on his heart, as well. The separation seemed to be harder on them than it was on other couples, being that they were opposites. His mind was going over ways that his mate could get hurt in his sister's room: she could trip and fall down, she could get burned with a curling or straightening iron, for one minute Alice could forget how fragile she was and hurt her... he found himself glaring towards the wall at the last one; if Alice hurt her in anyway, sister or not, she would pay for it. Damn the consequences.

"I'm sorry, Bella; but, you two need to get used to being separated. You can't be with each other every second of the day, it's just not natural." She whispered, trying to sooth the much younger girl. She could remember how much it had hurt to be away from Jasper those first few weeks, but she had never outright cried. She brushed it aside, figuring it was just because of the obvious emotional differences between lambs and foxes. "Now, I only have twenty-five minutes left, and I'm going to get started to see if I can lower that time." Alice smiled, while Bella grimaced. She was too afraid to hurt Alice's feelings to try to find her way back to Edward.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

By the time Bella came down, Edward was waiting impatiently downstairs for her with her breakfast – he had already eaten his – and was incessantly tapping his knuckles on the table. He would find some kind of revenge against his sister for this torture.

As soon as Bella's feet touched the floor at the bottom of the stairs, she was running quietly towards the kitchen, knowing he would be in there. Edward had been so unfocused, only thinking of her absence, that he didn't notice the pull of her in the room until the relief ran through him as she threw herself onto his lap. His arms automatically curled around her, pulling her into him tightly. It was hard for him to describe the rushing sensation of her touch after being without it for so long. The amazing feeling from her presence was almost worth the separation, though he would rather live without it if it meant that he could keep her by his side from there on out.

Bella was mewling being in his arms again; the grip on her heart had melted away as soon as she was in his embrace again. She knew that Alice was trying to help them in her own way, but she didn't want that again. She never wanted to leave his side, and would gladly put up with anything as long as his hand was holding hers.

"I missed you," she whimpered into his chest. His heart warmed at her confession, making him smile though he was still obviously distressed about the situation.

"I missed you, too," He breathed into her ear, immediately replacing the air with her scent; if it were possible, being without her had somehow made her smell even better than before. The intoxicating mix of strawberries, lavender, and freesia had impossibly become even more potent, not that he minded. "I love you so much, Bella." He whispered, pained with the reminder of how he felt when she wasn't in his arms.

It was the first time he had told her how he felt, though they both knew the other's feelings for them. Love is an automatic thing with mating. Even though she already knew, having him say it to her caused her heart beat to speed up, and of course she blushed, as well.

"I love you, Edward," she whispered back to him, though the sound was slightly muffled as she still had her face buried in his chest. He smiled brightly, choosing to put aside the thoughts of revenge against his sister for hurting both his mate and himself. He, also, didn't miss that it was the first time she had spoken the words out loud, though he had been able to feel her love for him in everything she did.

"Good." He smirked, pulling her away from him a little bit so that she was facing the dining room table, but still sitting in his lap. "Now, eat," he commanded. "We've got to head to school soon."

She obeyed him, reaching for the spoon and eating the yogurt he had dished out for her earlier. He had figured that she would like strawberry the best, and it seemed he was right. Her eyes were lit up as she was eating, and she ate it quicker than she normally ate.

While she was eating, he took the chance to take a look at what his sister had put his mate in. There was a slight dusting of makeup around her eyes, her ringlet curled had been straightened in parts so that it was slightly wavy, and she was wearing a midnight blue top that hugged her curves just right. It made him smile to see her like that, but it also made him a little angry. Sure, Bella was beautiful – she always was – but this wasn't _her._ His Bella didn`t need makeup or fancy clothing; his Bella was fine just the way she is. Looks like the talk with his sister would be coming sooner than he thought. At least, he noticed as her swinging legs brushed against his, Alice had put her in some flat shoes – boots, actually; so her feet would be very warm all day. He wouldn't have to worry about her getting cold; he didn't want her to get sick.

"Okay, I'm finished." She announced as she placed the spoon back in the empty bowl. Edward was glad to realize that this was the first meal he had ever seen her finish; maybe he would have to get her to eat yogurt more often. He enjoyed the way she turned to him, like a child asking for approval. He smiled back at her, and lifted her into his arms better, standing up. "Edward! Put me down!" She giggled, trying to squirm out of his hold.

"No. You've been out of my arms for far too long this morning, already." He kissed the top of her head, breathing in her scent. "I'm going to hold you for as long as I can."

"So, until we reach the car?" She smiled, teasing him. She started laughing again as he scowled at the reminder that he couldn't have her in his lap while he was driving.

"Yes, until we reach the car." He sighed, disappointed. Carrying her was going to become one of his new favourite hobbies.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

They didn't speak again until they were in the car, with Edward practically shaking with the effort it took for him not to completely let go of the steering wheel and wrap her up into his embrace, where she belonged. He never thought he would ever be angry with his car, but at that moment he was mentally cursing the idea of having so much space between the driver's seat and the passenger's seat. Couldn't the gear shift fit near the steering wheel?

Bella cleared her throat gently, before speaking timidly. "Edward?"

He glanced away from the road for a second, and almost regretted it when his need to hold her ran through him even more at the sight of her, he quickly returned his eyes to the road, and cleared his throat, as well. "Yes?"

"Why did... Alice come and get me this morning?" She hadn't quite understood why the older girl had felt the need to wake them up and separate them for half-an-hour of torture – at least, it was torture to Bella.

Edward smiled, biting back a laugh. "Alice always wants to improve everybody's fashion sense; to her, shopping and being fashionable are the best things in the world, second only to Jasper. Family is a close third, but even we can't hold a candle to spending money and making everybody look better." He didn't hold the laugh back this time, thinking of all the crazy antics his sister had gotten into in the past. "Clothes and style are like a way of life for her; plus, she likes being in control of what people are wearing. She has dressed up each one of us probably a thousand times, and now that you're here, she has a new person to play with."

Bella shuddered, thinking about the idea of being Alice's life-sized Barbie doll. "I really like your sister, I do; she is very sweet. But, I _really_ don't like shopping, and _really_ don't care about what I'm wearing all the much." She curled into a ball on the seat. "She kind of scares me." She whispered, embarrassed at her confession.

"She scares all of us at some point or another, love. She can be quite frightening when trying to get what she wants." He looked at her, watching as the pink colour of her blush spread over her pale skin like a painter's brush. Her teeth were worrying her bottom lip, and he reached over with one hand to release it, not wanting her to bite to hard and cause herself to bleed. Plus, the action was causing some... ungentle man-like reactions in his body. _We need to go to school,_ he reminded himself, trying to shake his mind free of all the sinful thoughts. It wouldn't help him with his attempt to take their relationship slowly. His body may feel the need to mate with her relentlessly, but her body was tiny and fragile, and couldn't handle that.

"I can believe that," She snorted adorably. "Just from the thirty minutes I spent with her earlier I could tell that she doesn't appreciate it when somebody prevents her from receiving her every want and need. I only really stayed with her because I was afraid of hurting her feelings, and I was also afraid of her hurting me."

She had meant it as a joke, but Edward tensed up, releasing a sound that was somewhere between a growl and hiss. "I would never let _anybody_ hurt you," he promised, angered that she even thought he would let anyone get away with that.

Realizing how what she had said could have been taken, she smiled at him and reached her arm over to pat his arm, trying to get him to relax. "I know you wouldn't let anybody hurt me, Edward. I trust you with my life." She told him, her own body relaxing as his muscles lost the tension.

Having reached the school, he parked the Volvo and quickly made his way over to her door. He lifted her out of her seat, listening to her laugh ring like the finest bells as his hands found a ticklish spot near her rib cage. He shifted his hold, and her giggles turned to breathless pants. He kissed her nose before placing her on the ground, holding her hand and leading her towards their first class.

He didn't have to say anything; his actions had told her how much he appreciated her trust.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

Jessica Stanley was furious.

She had witnessed the entire exchange in the parking lot, and watching Edward so happy with Bella had caused a hint of doubt. _What if they were truly mates?_

As soon as the thought had drifted through her mind, she had cast it away like the trash it was. Of course Edward wanted her; he was just a really good actor. He needed to pretend like Bella was his entire world in order for Jessica to become truly jealous and claim him as her mate. And when Jessica approached him, they would just walk away in each other's arms with little Bella Swan crying over the injustice.

But, of course, Jessica would go back and completely finish the job; she would hide her tracks so well that not even Chief Swan would be able to know just who it was that had killed his only child.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

_**There, another chapter. My inspiration that I gained by watching Eclipse has been waning, but I think I'll start rereading the series just so I can get it back. It felt good to be able to put out three chapters within a week; it's like a new record for me!**_

_**Hope you enjoy this quote:**_

_**Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils ... - Louis Hector Berlioz**_

_**Don't forget to leave me a word or two to tell me what you thing about the chapter!**_


	13. Prospect

**Chapter 13: Prospect **

**pros·pect **[**pros**-pekt] - anticipation; expectation; a looking forward.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

It's funny how easily you fall into routine with your mate. After a week or two, everything you do seems like something you have been doing all your life. School was so much easier for Edward and Bella now that they had each other; plus, if they got bored during the hours specifically set aside for learning, they could always turn to each other and get lost in their other half. It was a nice difference for Edward, who had gone more than a century without Bella. Edward finds his mind wondering just how he had managed to function without Bella before; she was his everything now, and she always would be.

Bella wasn't thinking about things like this; of course, she had only been alive for just over 16 years, and had just recently reached her Immortal Age. It was different for her; she had never had to get up every morning for decades without the comfort of a mate. It was also harder for her; she had never lived anywhere but with her mother and step-father. Having just moved in with her father, it was confusing for her to move houses again within one week. However, she would give up anything and everything for Edward. He was her world.

The week back at school had passed quickly, and now the Cullens were looking at the beginning of another weekend. They hadn't planned anything, but of course they wanted to do something all together, so that Bella could get used to being with them. Alice had told them all how nervous the little lamb had seemed just in the half hour she took to dress her up earlier in the week. None of them liked how much she clung to Edward; in the almost two weeks she had been staying at their house, nobody had seen Edward let go of Bella. They were no longer Edward _and_ Bella; they were like a single organism of EdwardandBella.

Alice and Rosalie wanted to be able to bring their new sister shopping; Emmett wanted to be able to play video games and watch movies with her; Jasper would like to be able to talk to her about books and history; and Carlisle and Esme just wanted to do anything to make their children happy. They knew it wasn't healthy for a mated pair to be together all of the time, no matter how good it felt for them to be with each other. Bella should be able to have her own life, though she would always be Edward's mate.

Carlisle had a theory; possibly, since Edward had spent so long without a mate and because lions are dominant and fierce and protective, it causes all the feelings he has had over the years to be built up so that he needs to get all those pent up years out of his system now. Though he himself had spent a century alone, being a deer was never that hard. You were always calm and peaceful; you never wanted to hurt anyone. Esme being a deer, as well – as, remember, most mates are the same species: Edward and Bella being the exception – was perfect. It was almost as if everything was the same, except now they had each other to hold onto. Everything was easy for them, as it was for the other children, as well. But, it wasn't natural to be together all the time.

Another part of his theory was that since Bella was so painstakingly breakable and Edward obviously wasn't, was that maybe their spirit animals were causing the differences. Maybe Edward's subconscious had realized that he had to do everything in his power to protect his mate, which means that nobody could be trusted with her, except for him. The qualities in him that make him know that he wouldn't be able to survive without his mate were magnified so much that it would probably physically hurt both of them if they were separated for too long. Carlisle wasn't sure what to do.

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Edward knew that his family wanted to talk to them. In one hand, he hadn't been spending very much time with any of them and was beginning to miss them even though they all still lived in the same house. On the other hand, he didn't want to have to share his time with Bella.

Even so, he knew he owed it to his mother, at least, to spend some time with them all. It's not like Bella wouldn't still be with him later; they couldn't exactly kick her out of the house, not when she was Edward's mate. He also wanted his mate to be fully comfortable with his family; it would be nice if she didn't think everybody in the house might hurt her. He didn't want her to be afraid all of the time; he wanted her to be able to relax without being in the presence of only him.

After getting her to eat breakfast, he led her to the living room to wait for his family to join them. Instead of setting her on his lap like her normally would, he set her beside him and leaned her against his chest, so that they could watch some television while his family finished eating. She didn't seem to notice the difference in positions, as she watched him surf the channels for anything that might be interesting to watch. After browsing through the options quickly, he decided on watching a rerun of Friends.

Renee loved this show, so it was no surprise to Bella when she recognized the opening scene and lines already. She even hummed along quietly to the opening song, which caused Edward to chuckle. She smiled and began singing the song, wanting to hear him laugh again. He didn't disappoint and began laughing outright as she began moving her head to the beat. They had yet to truly have any fun moments, everything being so serious with the beginning of their lives together, and Bella loved how free they were acting. His laughing cheered her up quite a bit, and she even began clapping to the song, which only fuelled his laughter.

Edward had yet to see this side of Bella, as well; her childlike innocence and insecurities all fit together in this playful side of her. She had never seemed more beautiful or more perfect to him in that moment. He was tempted to sing along with her, knowing the words off by heart like she, but decided that just listening to her voice was good enough. He basked in her happiness, watching her as she began laughing when the song ended. He found himself wishing he could turn back time so that he could watch it all again.

"I love you, Bella," he smiled down at her, still chuckling a little bit at her. "And I love your singing," he added.

As usual, she blushed a bright pink, and said quietly, "I love you, too." She didn't say anything else, but those words meant everything and more to him. He kissed her head, moving his hand to rub her arm in a soothing motion.

As he did this, his –their – family walked into the room, stopping slightly to watch the couple interact. Even Emmett found himself smiling at the touching moment. He was happy to see his brother happy, and happy to see Bella happy. They both deserved happiness.

Carlisle cleared his throat, fully making his way into the living room. Bella and Edward merely looked up at them, but neither of them moved out of their embrace, though that would have been the proper thing to do. Esme couldn't hold back her smile, though she knew how serious the conversation was going to be. Nothing could stop her from being ecstatic at how happy her son was.

"Edward, Bella," Carlisle started, "I believe there are some things we need to talk about." His voice was soft and calming, as it usually was; he did not want to cause his son's temper to rise, as he knew it might if Edward thought that he was going to be disciplined.

"What about, Carlisle?" Edward asked, not seeming to be very bothered. – Bella was in his arms, safe and sound, after all.

"It's about yours and Bella's relationship." Alice chimed in as they all took seats, angling themselves toward the couple on the couch. "We have some concerns."

"You have concerns?" Bella whispered, adapting her quiet voice now that she was in the presence of others. The Cullens – excluding Edward – frowned at this, it bringing back the thoughts that she wasn't getting used to them. They didn't want her to be scared or shy in any way around them, not when she was such a solid part of the family now. "Concerns about what?" She looked at Edward, her eyes growing worried. Were they doing something wrong?

"I'm sure it's okay, love, they just probably want to bring some things to our attention. It'll be fine." Edward spoke.

"He's right, Bella; nothing is wrong, per say, but that doesn't mean that everything is perfectly fine." Carlisle tried to soothe her. He didn't want his son getting angry because they had caused any kind of anxiety for his mate. "Haven't either of you noticed anything... _strange _about the way you act around each other? Something that you don't notice about other mated couples?"

Edward and Bella shared a glance, confused at the direction the conversation was going. "No, we haven't. Are we doing something wrong, Dad?" He asked, now worried that maybe he was causing unnecessary trouble for his mate.

"No, you aren't doing anything _wrong_. It's just, even from the beginning – when the pull to be near each other was so much stronger – you should have been able to be separated, if only for small amounts of time." Esme said, watching her son's face as he took in the information.

"It's wrong to want to be together all the time?" Bella asked, her voice not as quiet now that she was worried.

"No! No, of course it's not wrong. It's just, both of you should still be able to have your own lives. Look at your father and I; he has a job at the hospital, while I'm a stay at home mom. It would never work out very well if we were always together. I would get in the way of him treating a patient, and he would get in my way while I tried to take care of the house and you kids." Esme paused. "Though I want to be with him every second of every day, I see that it cannot always be so. Being able to live separate lives is a very big part of a relationship; you need to have something besides each other."

Edward decided it was best now to speak up about what he had experienced the day that Alice had taken Bella from him. "I know we should be separated more, but... it almost physically hurts me to be away from her. When I can't see her, it's like there is this hand grabbing a hold of my heart and squeezing with all its strength. It only went away when she was back in my arms, and I could smell her scent and feel her warmth, and I knew without a doubt that she was safe."

Bella's voice broke the quiet that followed his announcement. "It was the same for me, like something was squeezing my heart, only it was hard to breathe, too. Like someone was squeezing the air out of my lungs. But, once he was holding me again, everything was fine. Not like it had healed or anything, but like it had never been there in the first place." She smiled at him, letting him know that though she had been in pain, she wasn't hurt now, so he had no cause to worry about his absence hurting her any longer.

"I've never heard of anything like that, before." Jasper spoke, turning towards his father-in-law. "How about you, Carlisle?"

"It's not usually like this," He answered Jasper, also speaking to the entire room. "I think it has something to do with the fact that Edward and Bella are opposites in every way. The fact that she is so much more vulnerable than him is magnifying every instinct he has. The fact that he is so much stronger, let's something in Bella know that she is truly and completely safe with him, and her instinct is to be by his side at all times to keep herself from harm." He sighed. "It's as good an idea as any others I've got. I'll have to look around and see if I can find anything that can explain; though, as I have never heard of anything like this before, I doubt I'll find much."

"I'll help you," Jasper said, distractedly. He was already thinking about which books and websites he could look through that might shine some light on the matter.

"Thanks, son." He turned his attention towards Edward, watching as Bella pushed herself into a little ball in his lap. No matter how strange and possibly unhealthy it seemed, he couldn't hold back his smile. "We'll see what we can find; for now, you two are free to go."

"Okay, thanks, Dad." Edward didn't seem too worried; he didn't mind the fact that he couldn't be away from Bella. In fact, he loved whatever it was that was giving him the perfect excuse to never leave her side. If he had it his way, Carlisle would never find anything, so that he could continue to hold her in his arms for the rest of eternity.

The others dispersed, Alice saddened by the fact that it seemed for now she would have to leave Bella alone. They were all determined, though; to spend more time around the couple to get the little lamb acclimated to their company. No member of the family should be afraid to be there.

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Jessica's plan was almost complete. Now, all she needed was to wait for the perfect opportunity at school, and Edward would realize that _his_ plan to get her jealous had worked, and they could finally begin their life together.

It had taken some convincing, but she had managed to call in the favour of an old family friend from Seattle. He would take care of the little problem that was named Bella Swan and her and Edward would be fine.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_


	14. Adoration

**Chapter 14: Adoration**

**ad·o·ra·tion **[ad-_uh_-**rey**-sh_uh_n] - fervent and devoted love.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

Carlisle and Jasper poured themselves into research, even going so far as to call up any friends they knew that might have any idea of what was going on with the strange relationship between Edward and Bella.

So far, they hadn't had much luck.

Every so often, Edward would lead Bella towards his father's office so that they could ask if they had found anything that could explain it. Every time, they were met by the same words.

"We haven't found anything yet, but we'll keep looking." No matter if it was Jasper's calm and stiff voice that said it, or Carlisle's patient and kind one, the words still had the same meaning – nothing had been found.

Not wanting his mate to worry, he would quickly take her away from the tense atmosphere of the study and distract her with other topics of conversation. Very often their talk would turn to music, and they would spend hours closed away in Edward's – their – room and listen to it, enjoying each other's company and trying to pretend that everything was alright and that nothing was wrong.

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Jessica Stanley was excited for the events that were to take place soon.

James Tremblay was an old business partner of Martin Stanley, Jessica's father. He was known for his rather outlandish company, a girlfriend – not his true mate, but somebody he kept around – and her cousin. Victoria and Laurent Williams were their names. They were rather strange, always moving, never keeping still. Some people said that it unnerved them to speak to any of the three, because it always felt like they were going to attack you.

James was a tiger, which was not as different from Edward as you might think. He had the same protective instincts, except that he had yet to find his mate. He found use for his skills as a fighter; he rather enjoyed beating somebody until they were near death. He had only killed two people before during his fights, and in his mind, they deserved it.

Victoria was a panther, one of the main reasons James kept her around for so long. She was able to hide in the shadows very well, and could creep along silently. He had met her in one of the warehouses he goes to for fights, and was impressed with her ability to take down offenders who were more than twice her size. They had agreed to remain with each other until one of them found their mates.

Much like how you might notice that the other members of their little makeshift family were large, jungle cats, Laurent was a jaguar. If you looked at it from this angle, you might think that James didn't like to be associated with a creature that was so unlike his own, though that is untrue.

Jessica's father was a Rottweiler, though he didn't often lose his temper. He had learned how to keep his cool. Martin Stanley was one of James' greatest friends – they had made a pact with each other to always help the other out if they were in need of aid. The pact had stretched as Martin found his mate, and Jessica was born. The dog gene had passed to his daughter, though instead of a Rottweiler they were met with a yappy, little Chihuahua. Suits her rather well, don't you think?

Cassandra Stanley, Jessica's mother and Martin's mate, had used all of her built up frustration that comes with being a Rottweiler to gossip about anything and everything she heard. If a young boy had fallen in the Thriftway parking lot, the story would morph into the idea that the mother had fiercely abused him and pushed him down, not caring that there were witnesses. She was the worst kind of gossip; the kind that changed all the information before she has even spread it. Usually, stories would change subtly as it gets passed on, but she made sure to change them before anybody else even found out.

When James had received the call from young Jessica, he had naturally been curious about why she was spending all this time and effort doing this for a man who had already found his mate. He became more interested as she told him that they weren't true mates, they couldn't be, because they didn't share the same spirit animal. Jessica thought that of all people, little, insignificant Isabella Swan didn't deserve to socialize with the God that was Edward Cullen. She thought that she was obviously the only person worthy of spending time in his presence, as she was pretty, and smart, and all that.

Admittedly, James didn't exactly believe her. He had seen many people meet their mates, and the way she described the relationship between Edward and Bella seemed like the real deal. However, he had promised to do anything to help Martin and his family, and the idea of taking on a family of eight was exciting to him. Of course, he knew he couldn't do it alone, so he told Victoria and Laurent that they were heading to Forks.

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Climbing out of the cars, James smiled as he saw his friend's young daughter waiting for them, just as she said she would be. He had to admit that she was rather good-looking, though at this point in time nobody could compare to Victoria. She may not be his true mate, but he wasn't going to cheat on her; he truly did feel something for her.

"Now, what is this plan you have?" He asked Jessica, getting straight to the point. He had explained what was happening to Victoria and Laurent on the drive up, and they were anxious to start fighting as well; it had been a long time since they had a challenge such as this one to look forward to.

"Well, I was kind of just hoping that you could just, you know, fight them? Get close to Bella, and when you have the opportunity, destroy her. If you need to take down any of the other's then do so. Just, don't harm Edward too much. I don't want him to have many scars, or anything, that would just take away from his looks, if it's even possible for him to look bad, or anything..." she babbled on, though the three just tuned her out. They had gotten the gist of the plan.

Once Jessica stopped talking, Victoria asked for directions to the Cullens house, and they drove there. Not wanting to alert the Cullens to their presence to early, they parked the car in the driveway of some abandoned house and ran the rest of the way. They stayed close to the driveway, but not too close just in case somebody drove on it. They followed it to the clearing which opened up onto the Cullens house – er, mansion – and there they stayed in the shadows, just watching through the windows.

They would wait until Jessica sent word that they should attack – she would most likely wait until nightfall, when everybody else was sleeping and people were less likely to come and visit the Cullens or Bella. James smiled sadistically as he set his sights on the little lamb that was the reason for all this planning.

_Soon..._ he thought to himself, his smile widening. _Very soon._

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In another act to try to pretend that everything was fine, and that there was nothing wrong with the workings of their relationship, Bella asked Edward something that she had been thinking about.

"Edward?" She asked, and he hummed in response to let her know that he was listening. "I know you were born in the mating season before mine, but what did you do all those years in between?"

He was a little shocked at where she had led the conversation, but he knew she would have eventually asked. He was happy that this was turning into another chance to get to know each other better, instead of just a meaningless conversation.

"Well, mostly, I just waited. Waited for you, I suppose, though at the time I wasn't sure what I was waiting for. I watched as my brother and sister found their mates, and I watched my parents act around each other. It wasn't until Rosalie joined our family, however, that I truly became jealous at what my family had. Each one of them had somebody to complete them, and I didn't. Every town we moved to, I convinced them to go to high school with me – not wanting to be completely alone – and there, at school, I would begin looking for another lion that could possibly be my mate. Every time, as you may guess, I was disappointed. Sure, every once in awhile I would come across a female lion, and we would talk, and immediately realized that there was nothing between us. Of course I never found anyone, because you weren't alive yet.

"I spent my free time reading, listening to music, and hoping that I would find someone... no, not just anyone, you. I hoped that I would find you someday, so that I wouldn't need to envy my family any longer. I longed to know how it felt to hold your other half in your arms. I began to think that there was nobody out there for me, that I would never find you. I didn't understand what I had done to deserve a life without you; I thought I had been good enough to deserve the love of a mate. For a while, I thought I was wrong.

"Of course, I couldn't stop a small part of me from hoping that you were my mate when I heard that the Chief's daughter was joining the population of Forks. Nobody here, besides your father, seemed to know what your spirit animal was, so I didn't have the chance to think that you weren't my mate, because you weren't a lion.

"And, then, you stepped out of your car. I had been feeling the pull towards you ever since you had gotten closer to the school, and I couldn't deny myself the opportunity to look at you. And you glanced up as well, and when our eyes met, everything changed. You were suddenly _everything_ to me, and I couldn't even dream of not being near you. I walked up to you, as you remember, and we completed our mating, and I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I noticed that you weren't a lion, but a lamb.

"As you know, nothing like this has ever happened before, but I didn't care, and as I looked back into your eyes, I saw that you didn't care what my Tier in Geist was, either, only that we were together. You made me so happy in that moment, Isabella, so happy that I had finally found the one person on the entire planet that could complete me in the way you have."

Edward turned his eyes to watch her face, boring his emerald depths into her very soul. She could practically feel that he was looking into her thoughts, dreams, hopes, everything about her. She knew that he was glimpsing everything that made her who she was, in that moment. And then his gaze softened, and the moment passed, and he raised his hand up to softly brush against her rosy cheeks.

"Over the years, nothing could fully distract me from the... emptiness I felt not having you by my side. I assume that this may be one of the reasons why our connection is so powerful, and though I realize now that it isn't precisely healthy to not allow you to live a life separate from me, I cannot bare for you to leave me side. It tore me apart when Alice took you, even for that brief amount of time. I do not want to spend more than a second away from you, my Bella."

He leaned forward, finally allowing his lips to meet with hers. Almost the same as when they had first mated, when everything had literally _clicked_ into place for both of them, there was another sensation. It was as if they both realized that they were born to kiss each other. Edward concentrated on how soft and warm her lips were on his, and Bella thought about the way her lips moulded to Edward's. They fit perfectly together.

When he realized that Bella needed to breathe, he pulled back, and pressed his face into her curls, revelling in her scent. He had imagined many times since meeting his mate how it would feel to kiss her, and now that he knew he realized that no daydream of her lips against his could possibly compare to how reality felt.

A goofy smile spread over his face as he realized that they would have all eternity to continue kissing, and hopefully make each kiss better than the last.

_AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist-AnimalInSpirit-TierInGeist_

**There, another chapter written. I have the plots for the next few chapters all sorted out, and hopefully I'll get to them soon. Review and tell me how you like this.**

**As I promised her, I want to thank westernem for helping me update this quickly. Though it may not seem like you did much, you helped a lot, and I'm sure you recognize your ideas in this chapter.**

**I leave you with this: **

'_**A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice.'**____** - **__**Bill Cosby**___


	15. Sumptuous

**Chapter 15: Sumptuous**

**sump·tu·ous **[**suhmp**-choo-_uh_s] – magnificent; splendid.

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James, Victoria, and Laurent remained outside, just watching the Cullens interact with each other. One of their main concerns was to ensure that none of the inhabitants of the house became aware that they were being watched, or plotted against – that was Victoria's job. She never let her eyes stray from the house, carefully observing everybody in sight at all times, her eyes darting between each window that offered her a view of a member of the family.

Laurent's job was to watch the garage and the driveway, and to listen for any cars that may be turning on to the drive. They couldn't have anybody else joining the Cullens; nobody else needed to go except the little lamb, and the less people know about what was going to happen here, the better.

James was the one who was planning what to do. He could see the muscled one and the blonde in an upstairs window, watching television. They might be a problem, as the big on looked pretty strong. He could see the leader of the family and his wife reading in an upstairs library, they were the furthest away from the door. Another blonde and his tiny mate were the closest, being in the downstairs living room, just staring at each other; they didn't look very intimidating.

The only couple they couldn't see was the lion and the lamb, the reason they were there. James figured that the room they were in must be around the back of the house.

"Okay, we're going to just head straight for the door. I figure the two downstairs will hear us approach, and they'll be a little wary because they didn't hear a car come up. We'll knock, to throw them off a bit, and to get them all downstairs. Whoever is closest to the target lunges first; try to distract them a bit, though, head for the others to get the guys away from the little one," he spoke in quick, quiet whispers. His voice was harsh, and you could practically hear the underlying adrenaline. Victoria and Laurent only nodded, not for a second forgetting their posts. James smiled, glad that he had such a good team with him.

Not five minutes later, they received the text from Jessica saying that they were all clear. James wasn't exactly sure why they had needed to wait for the text, but he had listened to the girl, anyways. She was offering a chance he couldn't pass up. It's not very often somebody asks you to kill someone, unless you were an assassin.

Victoria and Laurent had noticed him pull out his phone, and they positioned themselves to head towards the door. James set his sights on the house, and when he observed that everything was still as he first planned it, he motioned with his hand for them to head to the drive way.

Just as he predicted, he noticed the black haired girl and her blonde mate whip their heads to the side, facing the door way when their feet hit the gravel at the end of the porch. They could already hear the others stirring in the house, so either they heard them, as well, or the two downstairs had contacted them in some way. Their shoes made an almost ominous sound against the wooden stairs, and they only seemed to get louder as they made their way across the porch and stopped outside the door.

James turned to look at both of his companion, giving them a gaze to remind them of the plan, before fixing his jacket and knocking three times, loudly, on the door.

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Alice knocked on the coffee table three times, alerting her family that people were outside. She knew Edward, Emmett, and Rosalie had most likely heard them approach, as well, but the others hearing wasn't as good.

Jasper had his arm around her shoulder, showing that he was worried about what these visitors could want; he had noticed that there was no sound of a vehicle. The Cullen house was a couple of miles away from the town limits, and hardly anybody made it out to visit them, let alone walk to their house.

The knocks on the door came just as Edward and Bella – the last ones – made it to the bottom of the stairs. Edward looked angry, probably because he was worried that the people just on the other side of the door may not be as friendly as Carlisle assumed they might be. He took a step in front of Bella, clearly showing that he would defend his mate against anybody, no matter who dared to get close to her. The fact that none of them had any idea of who could be at the door made him both more worried and more angry at the same time. Bella noticed, and placed the palm of her left hand on his back, rubbing up and down softly; it helped him to loosen his muscles a little bit, but he was still tense.

Carlisle, ever the peace maker, assumed that maybe these were just hikers who had gotten lost. He was always eager to help others who were in need of aid, and so his steps were a little hurried to head towards the door and offer his assistance. The others tensed as his hand landed on the door knob, and opened up to reveal the three strangers.

Edward was the first to notice the wild look in their eyes, and Jasper's intuition clicked in soon after. It was blatantly obvious to those two that these strangers weren't in need of anything, they were here for trouble.

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When James saw the younger blonde male and the lion boy tense up, he knew they had realized that something was wrong. He motioned his hand slightly towards Victoria and Laurent; it signalled for them to begin the plan.

Immediately, Laurent made a lunge for the little dark haired fox, and Victoria launched herself at the blonde female. James headed directly for the lion, trying to get him separated from his mate.

Though he knew that these two – the lion and the lamb – were indeed proper mates, he wouldn't turn up the chance for a fight, and Jessica's father was a great friend of his; he would do anything to remain in his favour, even if it meant helping his stupid daughter in her attempt to break up a fully mated pair.

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In seconds, Jasper was in front of Alice and was throwing the man away from her, unfortunately managing to launch him into the wall, causing it to break a little bit from the pressure. While foxes aren't exactly known for their strength, anybody can become stronger while trying to protect their mate. Jasper knew his Alice could take care of herself, but his instincts had made him act without thinking, willing to take any of the damage for her.

Rosalie had darted away from the red-headed female; however, she was still making her way towards her. Emmett grabbed her from behind, and she quickly followed the man as she crashed against the wall. Neither of them were knocked out, but their eyes quickly surveyed their surroundings, trying to shake away the slight ache in their muscles.

Realizing what could happen here, the others had somehow managed to converge around little Bella, their instincts to protect the weakest member of their family stronger now that they had been made fully aware of what was going on.

Edward and the blonde male were fighting, though Edward was mostly using defensive manoeuvres in order to remain as close to his defenceless mate as possible. The others noticed this, and Emmett and Jasper moved in to help him, giving the red-head the opportunity to make her move towards Esme.

Bella had closed her eyes, not wanting to watch any of it happened. She had never been as scared in her life, and the funny thing was that she wasn't exactly scared for herself. She was worried about the others, knowing that she couldn't help them in anyway because she had no knowledge of how to fight, or defend herself in any way. She had never thought that anybody could be so cruel as to attack an unknowing family; she had been hidden away from the troubles in the world by her parents.

She watched as Edward protected both himself and her, being aware of how close he was. She wanted to reach out and cling to him – knowing that it would bring her some much needed comfort – but she knew that that would only distract him. She didn't want him to get hurt when he was trying to keep this man away from her.

Carlisle stood in front of his mate, both wanting to kill the red-headed woman in front of him for thinking of hurting his mate, and wanting to find a way to end this fight right there. When Jasper noticed his hesitation, he took time away from helping his brothers with the blonde male and opened the front door, hurrying back to grab the menacing female, launching her through the front door. She landed heavily at the bottom of the stairs, and anybody could have heard the crunch of her bones as they broke from the fall. She let out a low moan, but otherwise made no move to do anything.

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Laurent watched as Victoria was thrown out the door, cringing as her bones snapped when she landed. He hurried to her side, wanting to help his cousin; all thoughts of continuing the fight were abandoned. Thinking about the fact that he had no medical knowledge of any kind, and had no idea about what to do when setting broken bones, he only attempted to comfort her, talking in a low voice about funny things that had happened when they were young children. Victoria laughed a bit, though her laughter was laced with pain, her broken bones feeling as if someone had burned her with a match.

James was enraged that his girlfriend had been hurt, but wasn't as concerned as one would be if they were facing their true mate. He realized quickly that he was alone now; Laurent wouldn't leave Victoria's side until he knew she was alright. The concern between the family dynamic of Laurent and Victoria was sickening to him – Laurent knew that they had a job to complete, something as little as his cousin being injured shouldn't prevent him from getting it done. After this, both of them were going to be getting yelled at for abandoning him.

He smiled at Edward as he once again retreated from him, heading towards his tiny mate.

"I don't see why Jessica is all hyped up about you; you don't look like much," he said, nonchalantly, trying to distract his opponents. It didn't work, not on Edward nor on Jasper – who had seen the tactic many times in the past.

Emmett, however, was thinking a little more clearly. "Jessica Stanley?" He asked, wanting to know who had set this all up. "She put you three up to this?" He moved closer, both to seek more knowledge of the situation and to get a little closer to his newest sister.

"Yes, Jessica Stanley," James said mockingly. "She's enamoured with lion boy here, and thinks she deserves him more than your little lamb ever would." He made eyes toward Bella, looking for a way to get close to her; Jasper, Emmett and Edward had her covered, and the girls and Carlisle were either behind her or beside her. Rosalie was rubbing her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

"I don't see how she thinks that even if something did happen to Bella, I would be with her," Edward said, sounding menacing. There was a hint of pain when he spoke of something happening to his mate, but he covered it up, trying to anger the man in front of him.

"I'm an old friend of her father's, and while I don't think too much of her, I don't exactly appreciate you speaking bad about her." James snarled, moving in closer to his target.

"I'm not speaking anything but the truth; Bella is the only one I will _ever_ be with."

While watching and listening to his brother, Jasper had edged closer to the enemy, already knowing just how he would do it. Emmett had caught on, and was moving slightly to position himself properly.

Just as James was about to make a retort, Emmett and Jasper lunged, the former quickly holding him in a position that would easily allow him to launch him outside, to join the rest of his companions. Jasper quickly moved out of the way, and Emmett through him outside, further than Victoria had gone as he was stronger. Laurent ducked as the body of his unofficial leader flew over him. He was concerned about him, but returned his attention to his cousin, taking her mind off the pain again. Victoria hadn't noticed what had happened; if she had, she would probably be hysterical. Later, when Carlisle had gone to see about how to help Victoria's injuries – always the compassionate one -, he had checked the unmoving body of James for a pulse.

There was none.

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**I apologize now for that completely horrible attempt at writing a fight scene. **

**Moving on, I am both excited and saddened to announce that this story is almost finished – only a couple of more chapters, and an epilogue will be coming your way in the future. Also, I do have a couple ideas for outtakes in my mind, but nothing is concrete yet. There isn't much I left out in this story.**

**A recommendation for all of you – head on over and read the story 'Hunter' by 'Stephen King Reincarnated'. It's one of my favourites.**

**Don't forget to review!**

"**I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road." – Stephen Hawking**


	16. Supernatural

**Chapter 16: Supernatural**

**su·per·nat·u·ral **[soo-per-**nach**-er-_uh_l] – exceeding the ordinary; pertaining to a god or deity.

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Having the daughter of the Chief of Police in the family was helpful; all Carlisle had to do was tell Charlie that the three were trying to attack his daughter, and the Chief was all for locking up the two that were still alive. Nothing would happen to the Cullens about the 'murder'; it was merely in self-defence, and Charlie supposed that anybody would react the same way when trying to protect their mates.

Charlie checked the Ids on the three, and shook his head, explaining when he noticed the confused looks he was getting from the Cullens and his daughter – who was still trembling a little bit.

"These three have been caught street fighting in abandoned warehouses up in the Port Angeles area; we've been trying to find a reason to bring them in for years." He watched as his partners loaded Victoria – who's left arm and a couple of ribs ended up being broken, and were now in casts – and Laurent into the back of a cruiser, while the body of James was being rolled into the back of an ambulance.

"I guess it's a good thing they came here; there's no way they could have beaten us, not with our numbers," Jasper mused, feeling slightly better about the fact that he had helped put away people who were bad news, and not people who were goaded into this.

"Maybe it is," Charlie smiled, looking over at his daughter and her mate as Edward soothed her. He sighed, knowing that there was little he could do to help her that her mate couldn't do, and knowing about the way a mate would do anything to make the other happy. Edward would take care of her; it was no longer his duty to do so.

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Bella watched her father talk to Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett, curling into Edward's chest more as the ambulance doors closed on one of the men who had tried to hurt them. She had stopped shaking as much, but every now and then a sound would send a memory of the man leaping towards her mate and she would cringe, sending a shiver down her spine.

Edward had been humming something into her ear, and when he saw that she was calm enough for now, he reached down beside him, plucking a flower from his mother's garden; she would understand.

He smiled, preparing to be corny; anything to make his girl laugh. "A beautiful flower for a beautiful girl," He whispered, and he was awarded with a slight chuckle, and a bright pink blush on her cheeks. She smiled when he pressed the flower into her hand, and brought it up to her nose and took in the fresh scent of the Marigold. Her smile grew as she smelled the flower.

Happy that she seemed to be fine now, Edward grabbed her hand and pulled her over to her father. He watched as she made a running leap, jumping onto his back and clinging to his shoulders. She seemed like a little child again, and he smiled at her innocence.

He knew that the idea that there were people out there that would attack total strangers to help out a friend would change the way she saw the world, if only slightly, and vowed to make her as happy as possible – not that he hadn't already been trying to accomplish that.

Watching his mate interact with her father – he had grabbed her off his back and was tickling her sides, causing her laughter to ring out over the yard – he smiled, making note of the ways to make her laugh.

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After the excitement of the day was over, the family congregated in the living room once again; the focal point of this conversation was some information that Carlisle had found on the internet, before the trio had attacked them.

"I didn't find much; as I'm sure you knew, you're position isn't something that has been heard of before," Carlisle began, focusing his eyes on the newest couple, who were pressed tightly to each other in a reclining chair. Bella's wide eyes blinked at him curiously, and he smiled. "However, what I can understand is that if there was a mated couple who were so different from each other – as you two are – then they will break the entire known dynamic. You two need each other, more so than other mates, and I don't think we should play around with that too much."

Jasper spoke up, then. "A theory I have, which is probably something that one of you has already thought of, is this: Edward, your body was built and designed for a mate who was a lion. You are strong, yes, and fast, but it wouldn't have been strictly necessary for you to defend your mate; a female lion would be able to defend themselves quite well. However, Bella is a lamb, not a lion; she is basically defenceless, though she might have ways to defend herself. I think your instincts picked up on the fact that your mate isn't the strong one that your body was designed for, so your need to protect her at all costs is larger. You need her alive, and don't trust anybody – even your own family – with her; you only trust yourself." Jasper paused, looking at his brother. "You may think you hid it well, but I didn't miss the way you tensed up when Bella's _father_ was holding her; your instincts have simply been multiplied in order for you to protect Bella." He smiled over at his newest sister, and she returned it – of course, blushing.

Edward thought about what his brother and his father had said, watching Bella as she, too, thought about it. He smiled when she shrugged, and opened her mouth to speak. "I suppose that's fine with me; I mean, you are right, Jasper. I would never be able to defend myself very well – probably even less than normal people of my Tier in Geist. I don't mind having a mate who'll make up for my lack of defence." She smiled up at said mate, reaching her tiny hand to curl around his fingers, playing with them like a child.

Edward laughed, wordlessly agreeing that it was fine, and his family smiled at them.

It was silent, until Emmett decided the silence was both awkward and uncomfortable. "So, Bella, how do you like video games?"

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The remainder of the afternoon passed with Emmett teaching his youngest sister how to play games like Grand Theft Auto, Need for Speed, and Call of Duty. One thing Emmett had definitely appreciated about the times changing, was the advance in technology: he wasn't sure what he'd do if he didn't have things like television and his x-box to help soothe his boredom.

Bella laughed more that day than she could ever remember laughing, her body shaking in Edward's arms as he refused to let her go for more than a few seconds. His need to protect had heightened a little more, made aware that some one – Jessica Stanley – was willing to destroy his mate just to have him.

The family had told Charlie about what James had said about Jessica, and with a blank face and an odd glint in his eye; he had made his way to his cruiser and told them he had something to take care of. Edward and his siblings figured that it would be a long time until any of them caught a glimpse of Jessica Stanley again; you don't mess with the Chief of Police's daughter.

Edward had promised to himself that he would take Bella over to see her father more often, after he had seen how happy she was when she spent time with him. He knew that she still felt a little guilty, even though she hadn't exactly planned on meeting her mate her first day of school. She felt sad that her father had been so excited when she came to live with him, and she only ended up spending a week before her mate had come and welcomed her into his family. Edward knew that she loved living with him – truth is, he wouldn't have let her stay with her father even if she had begged, he needed her too much – but he saw how much she loved her father, and how much she worried about him. He didn't know of a way to make her stop worrying – she would probably always worry, until her father found his mate. She didn't want him to be lonely, and in turn, Edward didn't want someone who had helped create the most perfect person on the planet to be alone, either.

Edward was glad that Emmett had helped distract her a bit with video games, and though she seemed willing to stay and play with him all day, he had to practically force her away from the living room so that she could eat. They had missed lunch, and breakfast had been rather hurried – wanting to call the police right away and explain the situation – so she needed a nice dinner to make sure she didn't get sick.

Esme had already prepared some food – potato salad with macaroni lasagne – and the others followed Edward and Bella in as they entered the dining room.

Dinner was loud, as always, with Emmett making jokes about Bella's ability and knowledge – or lack thereof – of video games. She blushed as always, and for the most part seemed content not to say anything, until she surprised them by saying. "I bet if I put you in front of a stack of books you wouldn't understand what to do," her voice was quiet, but everyone had heard her.

Though it wasn't particularly funny, they were all glad that she had willingly joined in on the conversation, and so they laughed, causing her blush to deepen into a lovely rosy red. Emmett laughed the hardest, even though she had been teasing him.

"You're my favourite sister, you know that?" he asked her, causing Alice to stop laughing and lean over the table to smack him on the side of the head. "Hey! What was that for?" He whined as he rubbed his head; Alice could hit strong when she wanted to.

"You shouldn't have favourites; you should love us both equally!" Alice huffed; she glared at her brother, not really upset, but wanting to have fun with this.

"I'm sorry, pixie dust, but Bella is just more fun to be around; you hit me when I tease you, she just teases me back. I'm sorry if I prefer non-violence over violence," He said, not even worried about what she might do to them. The rest of them snorted, and, surprisingly, Esme was the one who commented.

"If you like being non-violent so much, then explain why I had to replace my coffee table twice last month? Or what about the walls; surely, if you enjoyed non-violence, you wouldn't goad your brothers into fighting you so often, now would you?" She asked her son smartly, smiling when he turned to her, looking like she had betrayed him.

"Mom! You're supposed to be on my side! I thought I was your favourite child!" He whined again, though this time the rest of the family was watching amused. Edward had wrapped his arm around Bella's shoulder, and paid more attention to her than to his family, but was still finding this 'argument' amusing; Bella found it cute, in a way; she'd never had siblings to act like this with, and her parents would never have joined in.

"Like Alice said, Emmett, you shouldn't have favourites, and I don't; I just like you all for different reasons," she teased him, at the same time dishing him out some more food. She knew that he would always eat more. Rosalie was rolling her eyes at her mate, though there was a small smile on her face as well.

"Besides, son; you are a little hard to put up with," Carlisle added, dodging as his wife went to lay a light slap on his arm. They all laughed as Emmett pouted.

"You're all traitors," he pointed to all of them, making it a point to look Bella right in the eye before he spoke again. "I'll make sure to get you back for this," he said, making it look like he was talking only to her.

They all laughed harder as she audibly gulped, her eyes widening in slight fear.

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**Another chapter finished... wow. It makes me feel kind of... good. Review, and tell me what you think.**

**I might have another chapter, along with an epilogue, though this story is feeling a little stretched out, now, so I'll probably right a sweet little epilogue tomorrow, and then mark this story as completed. COMPLETED. I know, sad right?**

"_**True love stories never have**____**endings**__**" – Richard Bach**_


	17. Unknown

**Epilogue: Unknown**

un·known [uhn-nohn] - not within the range of one's knowledge,experience, or understanding.

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The months following what Emmett began to call 'The Incident', Edward and Bella only grew closer, though they made it a habit to spend an hour or two down with the family after dinner. The lion and the lamb were rarely separated; there longest time apart was an hour, and it wasn't willingly – Alice had finally managed to get Bella to go shopping, though she had given up when Bella had practically been in tears without her mate.

Emmett spent time playing video games with her, and enjoyed just joking around with her. Jasper spent time with her and Edward in the library, talking with Bella about history and politics; he was happy that he had found someone else as interested in it as him. Esme was glad to have a new person to garden with, and Edward watched the two of them outside. Rosalie took time to explain to Bella the ins and outs of cars, and even showed her how to get around her '72 Chevrolet Camaro – a car the Rosalie was admittedly a little jealous of, even if it was old.

"Your car is in perfect condition," she explained as she saw the confused look. "Most people would kill to have a classic car like this."

Bella hadn't exactly understood, but she had nodded and motioned for Rosalie to continue with her demonstration. She had also given her blonde sister full reigns over the car, as she had been riding mostly in Edward's car, anyways.

Carlisle, much like Jasper, spent time with his newest daughter in his study, talking with her about his past and what he has learned. She had an endless amount of questions about medicine, and he was curious if she thought she would go into the field.

"Oh, no," she practically squeaked. "I could never be a doctor; I get sick when I smell blood." Her small nose wrinkled up – rather adorably, Edward thought – before she continued. "If I ever get a job, I'd want something like... historic literature." She nodded decidedly. Carlisle perked and launched them into a discussion about her chosen field.

Edward just sat back and observed as his family wholly and completely accepted his mate into their midst. Sure, they had approved of her, and had taken the time to get to know her, but they also hadn't allowed Edward and Bella's unique situation deter them from fully welcoming their newest member.

Saturday's were spent either visiting Charlie, or Charlie visiting them. Then, the roles were seemingly reversed; Bella observed delightedly as her father got to know her mate. Though they had discovered that Edward did not take any enjoyment from watching basketball or hockey, they bonded over baseball and football. Well, not so much as bonded as had arguments; Edward cheered for Chicago – the city of his birth - while Charlie was a Washington fan. Bella just shook her head while they discussed why their team was better than the other's.

Renee had visited for a couple of days, wanting to meet her daughter's mate and new family; she dragged Phil along with her, who took it all in stride. While his mate flitted around excited, constantly getting distracted by something new, he stood to the side and watched, quietly talking with Charlie about – well, as you would guess, sports.

All in all, if you were to take a snapshot of everybody – Edward and Bella, Charlie, Renee and Phil, Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, Jasper... They were all exceedingly happy. They all watched the newest couple interact, and though at times there sweetness was actually a little nauseated to the older couples who hadn't felt like acting like that in years – minus Renee and Phil, who had ALWAYS acted like that. Regardless, they all knew that this is what happened when you first found your mate – you tried your hardest to make up for all of the lost time, and in the case of Edward, that was a century. Carlisle had sympathized most with his son, having gone through the same thing before meeting Esme. It was hard to believe that the two were actually separate beings, they were so in harmony.

And every night, the couple would climb the stairs and make their way into their bedroom, just lying in each other's arms, taking the time to talk quietly to each other.

"I love you," Edward whispered on one such night, almost a full seven months after they had first met.

"I love you, too," Bella whispered back. Edward smiled, before gently pulling away from her, causing her to frown. "Where are you going?" She asked, reaching out for him, trying to pull him back into bed beside her.

"Nowhere, just one minute," he whispered, reassuring her with a smile. He reached beside him, opening a drawer in his night stand, and pulling something out, looking down at it. He took his place on the ground beside the bed, sitting on his knees. He continued to look at whatever was in his hands, and when curiosity stole over her, she leaned forward, causing Edward to reach up to stop her. He laughed when she pouted, but made no move to show her what was in his hand.

After a about a minute, he took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. "I honestly don't know what to say; I had this all planned out and everything. I've spent weeks writing different speeches, wanting to do this in the best way possible. I can't remember any of them, so, I guess I'll just talk." He swallowed deeply, looking down again, not wanting to look into her eyes at the moment. "Isabella Swan, I will love you every single moment of forever. There will not be a second, no, millisecond of time that you will feel unloved, _ever_. I will love you until the day I die. Will you do me the extraordinary honour of marrying me?"

He pulled up the thing in his lap, opening the box and revealing an antique engagement ring that appeared as if it was from the early 1900s. Bella couldn't quite remember how to breathe; she hadn't expected him to propose...

He looked up then, and continued speaking. "We don't need to do it right away, I know you've just turned sixteen, and just stopped aging. But, I'll always love you, and since we're mates, there is not even the chance of us wanting anybody else. I just... want to know that when the time comes, you will marry me." His eyes looked into hers, again making her feel as if he was seeing her entire soul, laid bare in front of him.

She had known, from the first moment she had set eyes on him, what her answer would be. She could have laughed at how nervous he looked; as if it were even possible for her to answer in the negative. "Of course I'll marry you," she answered him.

The smile that spread across Edward's face was blinding, and Bella returned it just as brightly. She squealed and giggled as he stood up and grabbed her waist, spinning her around and around, causing her to get dizzy.

"Thank you," he whispered into her hair as he brought her into his chest, still holding her in the air. "You don't know what that means to me."

"If it means as much to you as it does to me, then I have a pretty good idea," she teased into his chest, moving away slightly to lay a kiss on his chest. "I love you, Edward Cullen."

He smiled. "I love you, too, Isabella Swan. I'll always love you."

He placed the ring on her finger, and while she was looking at it, he explained that this was the ring Carlisle had used when he proposed to Esme. She had started crying at that, when he told her that Esme had wanted him to have it, knowing it would mean more to him than it would to Alice or Emmett. He also knew that Bella would appreciate having his mother's ring more than Rosalie would, if she had given it to Emmett; and he was right. Bella loved the ring, and loved even more what it stood for; the bringing together of her true love's parents.

That night, their sleep was filled with the dreams of what their future would be like.

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Every ending is a beginning. This story of Edward and Bella may seem finished, but there are plenty more. Remember, in our world, we live forever; the stories will go on endlessly, until they both breathe the last lungful of air of this world. And, even after that, the afterlife will continue to bring them happiness.

The story of the lion and the lamb – the complete opposites – went down in history. The family laughed about it as they watched their newest couple names be put to print, being called 'the most unique mated couple'. Our little Bella, of course, blushed a bright cherry red when she saw her name on the news.

Edward only continued to grow happier each and every day, taking pride in how perfect his mate was. He remained on his protective ways, proudly showing off her engagement ring to any single male who looked at her for too long.

Alice, of course, was put in charge of the wedding – Bella wanted practically no part in it. She would be happy with anything her new sister chose, trusting her with the entire celebration. This complete and total trust passed on to Rosalie, as well, as she took her part in the planning, and of course Esme, who didn't miss the chance to get in on another wedding; the last first wedding of the family.

Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle continued to get closer, teaching her about things they were perfectly fluent in – whether it was gaming, history, or medicine.

Charlie found his mate in a young raccoon named Sue Matheson. She was a cousin of Harry Clearwater, a fishing buddy of Charlie's from La Push; Sue had come to visit her cousin, and ended up meeting Charlie by chance when he went to talk to Harry. Within months, they were married, and were expecting a healthy baby boy, whom they would name Seth.

Sue had come along with her younger sister, Leah, a wolf who met the eyes of young Jacob Black. Billy Black and his mate, Sarah, were ecstatic, always sneaking around to catch a glimpse of the couple. Billy loved to tease him about how stubborn and mean Leah was, but Jacob always refused to give in; it was clear that Leah was in charge in that relationship.

A new boy named Tyler Crowley arrived in town, and took a job at the diner for the summer. Who would walk in not a week later, but Lauren Mallory; it was another match seemingly made in Heaven. The two got along perfectly, and the relationship was approved by their family; last I heard, they were engaged to marry, much like our lion and lamb.

Angela and Ben got married; they had, apparently, kept their engagement a secret. Ben had proposed a mere two months after they met, not wanting to wait. Their wedding took place on the first day of summer, and Angela ended up asking Bella to be her maid of honour, though the girls had only met a few months before. They had gone on many double dates, and Angela often came over to visit the young lamb, understanding Edward and Bella's need to be together. Bella had always been very excited to meet with Angela.

Again, every ending is a beginning. This may seem like an ending to you, the readers who have unfortunately reached the end of this particular tale of our lion and lamb, but it's not. The story will continue, whether I write it or not. Being immortal allows us to do an endless amount of things in our just-as-endless existence. There are other stories to be told, but I hope that you don't forget this particular tale. It is one of love, and triumph, in a way. The love between two people who seemed like such opposites, and the triumph they felt when they came over their biggest obstacle. I hope this story has made you more aware of our world – so much like your own, yet so different at the same time. As for me, I just wanted to tell you of a tale that seemed so perfect yet so different at the same time. I'll probably continue with what I was doing before, content now that you normal humans know of us with our Tier in Geists. We're a lot closer to you than you think...

Oh, and just to clear it up, Jessica Stanley got what she deserved... with the added bonus of meeting her mate in jail. Ah, true love.

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_**The End**_

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**The end; you have no idea how that makes me feel, to type those two simple words. I'm done with this world of mine for now, and I would like to thank all of you who stuck with me until the end. I will return to this world, of the Tier in Geists and the lion and the lamb, whether it be through a sequel or the outtakes I have already taken some thought to.**

**If there is anything you would like to see in an outtake, write a review about it, and I will try my best to write what you want.**

**Review, please! I really, really want to know what you think.**

'_**Everything you do in life will be insignificant, but it's very important that you do it.' – Gandhi**_

**Remember me.**


	18. Outtake 1

**Tier in Geist**

**Outtake 1: Jessica Stanley**

The tale of how Jessica Stanley got arrested.

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Jessica was worried; she hadn't heard from James or the others in some time, and she hadn't expected it to take this long; it was well into morning, almost eleven.

She had sat all night, both nervous and excited. Excited, because after the job was carried through, she would finally be able to be with Edward, and he would no longer have to pretend to be the mate of that horrible, little creature, Isabella Swan. _Where does she get off, anyway,_ Jessica thought angrily, _convincing MY guy to act like her mate; she must have a lot of money, or be willing to do ANYTHING to get him. She's probably just letting him in her bed whenever he wants. Well, I'll offer him that, as well, and more._

Excited, because no matter how much she knew that James wouldn't let her down – or, more importantly, her father's daughter down – she couldn't help but wonder if something would go wrong. _What if Edward and Isabella really are mates?_ She asked herself, before shaking her head free of the thoughts. _Don't think like that, Jessica, you know he belongs with you, and not her._

She was relieved when the knock came in the door, knowing that the job must have been completed since they had returned. It may have taken a little longer than they had first estimated, but at least it was done.

She stood up from the seat she had been in all night, straightening out her clothes and her hair before calmly making her way to the door. Even though she wanted to run to it, to receive the news that Edward Cullen was finally hers, she knew she couldn't do that; she had to appear that she had all the time in world.

With her hand on the door knob, she took a deep breath. She opened the door with a smile, which quickly dropped into a wide-eyed look of fright as she saw who was in front of her.

"Hello, Miss Stanley. May I come in for a moment?" Chief Swan asked her, moving her to the side and stepping through the doorway without waiting for her answer. She gulped, before taking a quick glance around outside – making sure nobody else had seen him arrive – and closing the door softly, whimpering slightly before turning around and making her way back to the kitchen, where she could hear the Chief making a cup of coffee for himself.

Pausing at the doorway, she prepared for a conversation she had hoped she would never have.

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As young Jessica entered the kitchen, Charlie Swan was just sitting down in one of the chairs that circled the oval shaped table in the middle. He had made himself a good, strong cup of coffee – with one cream and two sugars, just the way he took it at home – and watched the girl sit across from him.

He continued to stare at her, watching in vague amusement as she fidgeted in obvious discomfort. The few times that she looked up to meet his eyes, he saw blatant fear in them – she knew why he was here, but knowing her, she would most likely play innocent.

And that's exactly what she did. As she watched the Chief finished the last mouthful of his cup of coffee, she cleared her throat, trying to appear as collected as possible in front of this man – the father of her enemy. "Don't think that it isn't a pleasure to see you, Chief Swan, but is there a reason you are here? I wasn't expecting anybody." She asked politely, and sweetly, wanting to make him forget about what he was most likely thinking about. She was hoping, against hope, that maybe he was here for a different reason. Maybe he wanted to talk to her parents, and if that were the case, she would tell him they were out of town – they had gone to Seattle for a business trip – and he would be on his way.

"Well, Miss Stanley; I received a phone call early this morning. Do you know who it was from?" He asked her, enjoying her squirming. She shook her head, no, looking down at a scratch on the table. "It was from Dr. Cullen. Can you think of any reason why I would receive a phone call from him, today, very early in the morning?" He asked again.

"No, sir," she mumbled; her fears had been confirmed. Something had gone wrong last night, and James wouldn't be coming. If the police knew that she was involved, he was most likely already in custody.

"Well, it seems that late last night, while all of them were just enjoying a night together with their mates, three people had walked up the driveway and knocked on their door. Now, not used to having visitors, Dr. Cullen let them in, thinking that it may be some hikers who had gotten lost in the woods and needed help. The three people weren't lost hikers, though, Miss Stanley. They ended up attacking Dr. Cullen and his family, seeming to center around my daughter, Bella, and her mate, Edward." He was watching her closely as he spoke, and delighted in the way she grew tenser with every word he spoke.

"Excuse me, Chief Swan, but what does this have to do with me?" She asked him, continuing the innocent act. It nearly drove him to lash out at her, but he remained calm – well, as calm as he could in this situation.

"Well, it seems that the leader – a James Tremblay, the very same James Tremblay known to be associated with your father, Miss Stanley, and a known street fighter and wanted man – told the Cullens a little about why he was doing it. He said something about a girl wanting Edward to herself, and wanting to get rid of Edward's mate, my daughter, in order to be with him." He smiled stiffly at her, letting her know that he knew exactly what he was doing. "He also said the name of this girl – the one who had planned to kill my daughter. Do you know who could have done this?"

She didn't answer him, only continued to look down at the table and gulp. Tears were filling her eyes, knowing there was no way she could get out of this one. _Why did I trust that idiot, James, to do this? He wasn't supposed to mention me at all!_ She knew that he had appeared a little too confident, and she would be the first to admit that she had never asked anybody to kill someone before, but he should have realized that if something went wrong, he shouldn't mention anything about the plan, or her connection to the plan. _If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself._ She recalled from a movie she had seen once, with Lauren.

"No, sir," she mumbled, having the feeling that he wanted this to continue.

"He said it was your idea, Miss Stanley. You wanted somebody to go out there, and kill my daughter; all because you wanted Edward. You _knew_ that they were a mated couple, and you _knew_ that Bella was the daughter of the Chief of Police. You must have known, also, that you wouldn't get away with it; I would have never stopped until I have discovered who was responsible for taking away my daughter." A lump had rose to his throat, and he had to pause for a moment, to keep his voice from breaking, and to remind himself that Bella was alive and well, in the arms of her mate, where she belonged. "You know what's going to happen now, right?" He asked her, knowing what her answer would be.

"No, sir," she spoke to the table top.

He smiled slightly, standing up and pulling out a pair of handcuffs. He walked around her, taking her trembling hands in his own, and pulling them roughly behind her back, clipping them together. "Jessica Stanley, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of my daughter. You have the right to remain silent; everything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law." He spoke professionally.

He brought her outside, and to her credit, he thought that it was smart of her not to fight him off and to take the advice of remaining silent – not many people did that. Waiting for them outside were two of Charlie's officers, who were going to bring her in. They put her in the back of their cruiser, and just before closing the door, Charlie leaned in and smiled.

"Don't mess with my daughter." He whispered, continuing to smile as the tears rolled down her face.

Jessica's last thought before the cruiser took her away from her home was: _My parents are going to kill me for this._

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**Okay, first of all, I know Charlie may have seemed a little harsh at the end, with the whole 'continuing to smile as the tears rolled down her face' thing, but imagine if you were looking at the person responsible for a plan to take away your only child? You'd be a little mean, too, don't you think?**

**Anyways, outtake number 1; I have to say, this is the outtake I looked most forward to writing, hence why I wrote it first. Hoped you liked it!**

**Review, please! And if there is anything you would like to read about that wasn't in the story, be sure to tell me, and I'll plan an outtake for it!**

'_**Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad.' - Author Unknown**_


	19. Outtake 2

**Tier in Geist**

**Outtake 2: Renee Martin and Phil Dwyer**

The tale of how Renee met her mate.

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Renee Martin had been in Phoenix with her five-year-old daughter for a little over a year now, and she still found herself getting lost in the grocery store. _The store is so BIG compared to the Thriftway in Forks, _she mused. She liked that fact and hated it; loved it because she detested Forks, and hated it because, well, she was always getting lost.

She figured that though she had been heading towards the cereal first, since she was in front of the fruits and vegetables she might as well get them first; she could find the cereal later. _Just as long as you pick up the dairy products and frozen meat last, _she reminded herself. Last time she had picked up the milk first, she had ended up going over to a friend's house for a couple of hours. The milk had gone bad in the car, since it had been out of the refrigerator for so long. She had learned her lesson as she stood over her young daughter as she relentlessly threw up in the middle of the night, having gone to be with a glass of milk to help her sleep.

She grabbed a couple of plastic bags to put the fresh vegetables in, and was just reminding herself about what kind of vegetables Bella liked most, when she felt this odd sensation in her chest. It was almost like a pulling feeling, like someone had grabbed a hold of her insides and was tugging on them.

She ignored it for the most part, pushing it to the side and looking over the stocks of celery, trying to make sure she picked the freshest one there. Eventually, the feeling in her chest multiplied, and she decided to 'play along with it', and looked in the direction it felt like it was pulling her to.

She ended up looking directly at a young man who had just grabbed a basket; a young man who was coincidently staring directly at her. The man was tall – she guessed around 5'11 or so – and had deep blue eyes that she felt she could look into forever. His hair was a short, muddy brown colour, and only helped accentuate her strong jaw.

He lifted his hand in a slight wave, smiling a little, and she returned it, her grin slightly wider than hers. He looked at her for a moment longer, before making his way over to her, and holding out his hand. "Hi, my name's Phil. Phil Dwyer." He told her, staring into her eyes.

"Renee Martin," she whispered, placing her hand into hers for a handshake. Once she did so, they both let out gasps at the feeling that coursed through them. She had heard tales before, but since she had, obviously, never gone through it before, she wanted to make sure. Sure enough, when she glanced upwards, his Tier in Geist matched hers. She was sure if he turned around, he would have a little tail to match.

When her eyes returned to his, she saw him take a glance upwards to, and his smile widened. He laughed slightly, before tugging her into his arms, and whispering gently in her ear, "I'm so glad I finally found you."

"Me, too," she replied, thinking how good it felt to be in his arms.

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Phil Dwyer had a bad craving for carrots; having a rabbit for a Tier in Geist usually did that to you, though, so you got used to it. It seemed that there were never enough carrots in the house that contained a rabbit – you were always waking up in the middle of the night with a craving for them, and ended up eating them all. Phil visited the grocery store more times in a week than he could count.

He parked in the middle of the parking lot, as was his habit, not wanting to walk too far but wanting to leave room for those who had trouble walking to be closer to the entrance of the store. As he approached the entrance, he felt something pulling him into it, causing him to walk a little faster than he normally would. It was the oddest sensation in his chest, like an internal compass was trying to lead him in the right direction or something.

When he entered, he moved to pick up a basket, and just when he did, he caught sight of a woman about twenty metres away from him. After a couple of seconds, she looked up as well, and he exhaled quickly. He felt like someone had punched him in the chest, trying to get through to him that this woman was somehow vitally important to him, and that he had to go and talk to her, _now. _

When he realized she was still looking at him, he raised his hand in a wave, smiling at her, and was delighted when she returned both gestures. He watched her for a moment, before the tugging on his chest gave another pull, causing him to approach her.

As he grew closer, he noticed that her beauty only grew. When he grew close enough, he held out his hand to shake, saying "Hi, my name's Phil. Phil Dwyer," kicking himself when he realized that may come off as sounding a little like James Bond.

He was entranced by the way her voice sounded as she answered him, sliding her smaller hand into his own to shake. "Renee Martin."

He literally felt his insides move, seeming to want to remain as close to this enchanting woman as he could. He heard her gasp right along with him at the electricity coursing through his veins. He wondered if she felt it, too, and watched as she lifted her hazel eyes from his and took a glance at what was on his head... his ears, he knew, she was looking at his ears. As her eyes returned to his, he did the same, relieved when he realized that her Tier in Geist matched his own. He could put a name to this feeling now; he had just been united with his mate, the woman he would spend the rest of forever with.

Unable to prevent himself from doing so, he tugged her gently into his embrace, and whispered softly into her ear, "I'm so glad I finally found you." He couldn't express it any better, though his feelings far passed, 'glad'.

His heart gave a leap as she said, strongly, "Me, too."

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**This was actually really easy to write. Anyways, outtake number 2, and I didn't even think about writing this until I sat down and started typing. Honestly, this wasn't originally on the list of outtakes I planned on writing, but, I guess it works.**

**If you have any ideas for outtakes, feel free to message me with them, and I will try my best to write what you want. And, please, visit my blog: www . xlarac . blogspot . com**

**Or, you can visit the blog for Tier in Geist, which is almost the same, but a little different: www . xlarac-tig . blogspot . com**

**Please, review!**

**Remember me.**

'_**The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.' – Mother Teresa**_


	20. Outtake 3

**Tier in Geist**

**Outtake 3: Isabella Swan, the Monkey**

The tale of how Isabella Swan made an enemy of the monkey bars.

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Isabella Swan loved going to the park, though she often returned home with injuries, some serious and others not-so-serious. After her last spill off of her favourite toy – the monkey bars – causing her to get a minor concussion, she had almost thought that Renee and Phil wouldn't allow her to return to the park. It was easy to see how much they worried when she asked to go; one of them always came with her, even thought the park was in full view of the house; they would have been able to stay at home, and still keep an eye on her.

"We want to be able to help you as soon as possible, sweetheart, if you need it," Renee explained to her when she had complained a bit about being supervised – they knew well how wise beyond her years Bella could be, when she wanted, but she seemed to lose a bit of her maturity, slipping into her true age as she tried to make her way across the monkey bars – they were right to worry about her.

This time, she was determined that she would make it all the way across, without hurting herself. She had already tripped a couple of times this morning, so she figured that she should be able to avoid a spill until she was finished at the park.

Of course, it seemed that Fate was always watching her closely to better work against her. When she had made it about half way across, she lost her grip and fell with a crash to the ground. She heard the crack before she felt the pain, and suddenly it was shooting up her body in huge jolts, causing her to gasp harshly and cry out, wanting to release the pain in some way.

Renee went running over straight away, and when she saw the odd position that Bella's leg was in, she knew right away that it had to be broken. Bella had broken an arm before, but she knew it would be more difficult, dealing with a broken leg; Bella probably wouldn't be able to walk for awhile.

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Renee had carried Bella home, and Phil had spotted them coming from the front window. He knew they were in for a hospital trip, so he immediately got up and grabbed the car keys, locking up the house. By the time Renee was beside him, he was already holding open the door to the back of the car, and Renee slipped inside, keeping Bella in her lap.

Bella had been to the hospital so frequently from accidents at the park that the nurse just raised her eyebrows slightly, and asked "The monkey bars, again, Bella?" To which she smiled and shook her head when the little girl nodded in affirmation. "You should really be more careful; you're my favourite patient, but I don't like seeing you so often." She patted the girl's shoulder, before standing up again. "Now, what colour do you want your cast to be?"

"Blue," she answered automatically, trying to keep her mind of the intense pain. She remembered clearly how they had to set her arm when she broke it; she wasn't looking forward to going through that again. "Blue is my favourite colour," she informed the nurse when she returned with the coloured cast. The nurse smiled at her, trying to keep her distracted from what she was doing; she was going to reset the bone now, and since she knew how Bella reacted to pain medication, she wasn't allowed to give her any.

"Is that so? Why is blue your favourite colour?" She asked the girl, holding her breath and preparing to do it.

"Because-"

Bella had been right – it was just as painful as when they reset her broken arm.

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After two months in her cast, the doctors said that it could come off, and when she returned from her check-up at the hospital, she asked Renee if they could go to the park.

Renee and Phil exchanged worried looks, but when they looked back at Bella, she was in full pouting mode. Her innocent, brown eyes had been widened, and her bottom lip was sticking out and trembling slightly. Both of them sighed, and they knew that neither of them could find it in them to deny her trip to the park, even though her leg had just finished healing from her last adventure there.

"Sure, sweetie; Phil and I will go with you," Renee told her, grabbing the keys to the house and locking up behind them. They kept an eye on her as she crossed the street several feet ahead of them, hurrying to get to the playground so that she could attempt to cross the monkey bars again.

As she reached the edge, she turned her eyes towards the monkey bars, and suddenly froze up. She felt a phantom pain shoot through her leg, reminding her of what she had gone through just weeks ago. Renee and Phil were startled as she turned back around and shook her head at them, looking paler than she usually did.

"Actually, why don't we just go watch a movie at home? I don't feel much like playing anymore," she said hurriedly, moving back towards the house. Renee and Phil looked at each other, trying to make sense of what had just happened, before turning around and following Bella back across the street.

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To the relief of Renee and Phil, it seemed that Bella had finally had her fill of the playground; she no longer asked insistently to go there every day. This resulted in fewer trips to the hospital, and they were glad – it meant that there was less pain their little girl would have to go through.

It turned out that Bella would find a new obsessive hobby to fill her time a few months after she quit visiting the park.

"Mom, can we go to the library?"

It was a much safer hobby, I'll admit.

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**Outtake number 3, complete. This was one of the better outtakes I thought of writing, and I'm glad it came so easy to me, though it didn't come as easy as the first two did. I actually had to pause and think a lot with this one, which I'm actually not to familiar with when it comes to writing. Usually, when I sit down with an idea, it just flows, but, oh well...**

**On the note of my other story, **_**Soul Fliers, **_**I have decided to put that on hiatus. I have another idea for a story that I will be writing that will hopefully cure me of the block of ideas for **_**Soul Fliers**_**. School starts in four days – including today – so it may be a little longer between updates. I also seem to be having trouble writing the outtakes for **_**Tier in Geist**_**, so it will be awhile before you get another one of those, as well. Don't be too disappointed. **

**Review, please, and be sure to tell me about any outtakes you would like for me to write; I'll try my best to get them to you!**

**Remember me.**

'_**The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.**__**' – Abraham Lincoln **_


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